First report on rapid screening of nanomaterial-based antimicrobial agents against [beta]-lactamase resistance using pGLO plasmid transformed Escherichia coli HB 101 K-12

• Published in: Applied nanoscience 2016-08, Vol.6 (6), p.941
• Main Authors: Raj, M Alpha, Muralidhar, Y, Sravanthi, M, Prasad, T N, V, K, Nissipriya, M, Reddy, P Sirisha, Neelima, T Shoba, Reddy, G Dilip, Adilaxmamma, K, Kumar, P Anand, Krishna, T Giridhara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2190-5509; 2190-5517
• DOI: 10.1007/s13204-015-0506-7

Combating antibiotic resistance requires discovery of novel antimicrobials effective against resistant bacteria. Herein, we present for the first time, pGLO plasmid transformed Escherichia coli HB 101 K 12 as novel model for screening of nanomaterial-based antimicrobial agents against [beta]-lactamase resistance. E. coli HB 101 was transformed by pGLO plasmid in the presence of calcium chloride (50 mM; pH 6.1) aided by heat shock (0-42-0 °C). The transformed bacteria were grown on Luria-Bertani agar containing ampicillin (amp) and arabinose (ara). The transformed culture was able to grow in the presence of ampicillin and also exhibited fluorescence under UV light. Both untransformed and transformed bacteria were used for screening citrate-mediated nanosilver (CNS), aloin-mediated nanosilver (ANS), 11-[alpha]-keto-boswellic acid (AKBA)-mediated nanosilver (BNS); nanozinc oxide, nanomanganese oxide (NMO) and phytochemicals such as aloin and AKBA. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were obtained by microplate method using [rho]-iodo nitro tetrazolium indicator. All the compounds were effective against transformed bacteria except NMO and AKBA. Transformed bacteria exhibited reverse cross resistance against aloin. ANS showed the highest antibacterial activity with a MIC of 0.32 ppm followed by BNS (10.32 ppm), CNS (20.64 ppm) and NZO (34.83 ppm). Thus, pGLO plasmid can be used to induce resistance against [beta]-lactam antibiotics and the model can be used for rapid screening of new antibacterial agents effective against resistant bacteria.