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A mechanistic study of the antibacterial effect of silver ions on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

  1. Q. L. Feng1,*,
  2. J. Wu1,
  3. G. Q. Chen2,
  4. F. Z. Cui1,
  5. T. N. Kim3,
  6. J. O. Kim3

Article first published online: 3 OCT 2000

DOI: 10.1002/1097-4636(20001215)52:4<662::AID-JBM10>3.0.CO;2-3

Issue

Journal of Biomedical Materials Research

Journal of Biomedical Materials Research

Volume 52, Issue 4, pages 662–668, 15 December 2000

Additional Information

How to Cite

Feng, Q. L., Wu, J., Chen, G. Q., Cui, F. Z., Kim, T. N. and Kim, J. O. (2000), A mechanistic study of the antibacterial effect of silver ions on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 52: 662–668. doi: 10.1002/1097-4636(20001215)52:4<662::AID-JBM10>3.0.CO;2-3

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

  2. 2

    Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

  3. 3

    Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Paichai University, Taejon 302-735, Korea

*Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University,, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 OCT 2000
  2. Article first published online: 3 OCT 2000
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 9 MAR 2000
  4. Manuscript Revised: 1 MAR 2000
  5. Manuscript Received: 30 APR 1999

Funded by

  • National Natural Science Foundation of China. Grant Number: 59832070

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Keywords:

  • silver ions;
  • antibacterial mechanism;
  • DNA molecule;
  • morphological changes;
  • transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

To investigate the mechanism of inhibition of silver ions on microorganisms, two strains of bacteria, namely Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), were treated with AgNO3 and studied using combined electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Similar morphological changes occurred in both E. coli and S. aureus cells after Ag+ treatment. The cytoplasm membrane detached from the cell wall. A remarkable electron-light region appeared in the center of the cells, which contained condensed deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules. There are many small electron-dense granules either surrounding the cell wall or depositing inside the cells. The existence of elements of silver and sulfur in the electron-dense granules and cytoplasm detected by X-ray microanalysis suggested the antibacterial mechanism of silver: DNA lost its replication ability and the protein became inactivated after Ag+ treatment. The slighter morphological changes of S. aureus compared with E. coli recommended a defense system of S. aureus against the inhibitory effects of Ag+ ions. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 52, 662–668, 2000.

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