Subdiffraction localization of a nanostructured photosensitizer in bacterial cells

Year: 2015

Authors: Delcanale P., Pennacchietti F., Maestrini G., Rodríguez-Amigo B., Bianchini P., Diaspro A., Iagatti A., Patrizi B., Foggi P., Agut M., Nonell S., Abbruzzetti S., Viappiani C.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Parma, Dipartimento Fis & Sci Terra, I-43124 Parma, Italy; Univ Parma, Dipartimento Biosci, I-43124 Parma, Italy; CNR, Ist Nanosci, NEST, I-56127 Pisa, Italy; Fdn Ist Italiano Tecnol, I-16163 Genoa, Italy; LENS European Lab Nonlinear Spect, I-50019 Florence, Italy; INO, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Perugia, Dipartimento Chim, I-06123 Perugia, Italy; Univ Ramon Llull, Inst Quim Sarria, Barcelona 08017, Spain.

Abstract: Antibacterial treatments based on photosensitized production of reactive oxygen species is a promising approach to address local microbial infections. Given the small size of bacterial cells, identification of the sites of binding of the photosensitizing molecules is a difficult issue to address with conventional microscopy. We show that the excited state properties of the naturally occurring photosensitizer hypericin can be exploited to perform STED microscopy on bacteria incubated with the complex between hypericin and apomyoglobin, a self-assembled nanostructure that confers very good bioavailability to the photosensitizer. Hypericin fluorescence is mostly localized at the bacterial wall, and accumulates at the polar regions of the cell and at sites of cell wall growth. While these features are shared by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, only the latter are effectively photoinactivated by light exposure.

Journal/Review: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Volume: 5      Pages from: 15564-1  to: 15564-9

More Information: This work has been partially supported by MiUR Programmi di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale PRIN 2010JFYFY2-002.
DOI: 10.1038/srep15564

Citations: 34
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