Cytotoxic Effect of Graphene Oxide Nanoribbons on <i>Escherichia coli</i>
Shirong Qiang,
Zhengbin Li,
Li Zhang,
Dongxia Luo,
Rongyue Geng,
Xueli Zeng,
Jianjun Liang,
Ping Li,
Qiaohui Fan
Affiliations
Shirong Qiang
Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Zhengbin Li
Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Li Zhang
Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Dongxia Luo
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Rongyue Geng
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xueli Zeng
Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Jianjun Liang
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Ping Li
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Qiaohui Fan
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
The biological and environmental toxicity of graphene and graphene derivatives have attracted great research interest due to their increasing applications. However, the cytotoxic mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of graphene oxide nanoribbons (GORs) on Escherichia coli (E. coli) in an in vitro method. The fabricated GORs formed long ribbons, 200 nm wide. Based on the results of the MTT assay and plate-culture experiments, GORs significantly inhibited the growth and reproduction of E. coli in a concentration-dependent manner. We found that GORs stimulated E. coli to secrete reactive oxygen species, which then oxidized and damaged the bacterial cell membrane. Moreover, interaction between GORs and E. coli cytomembrane resulted in polysaccharide adsorption by GORs and the release of lactic dehydrogenase. Furthermore, GORs effectively depleted the metal ions as nutrients in the culture medium by adsorption. Notably, mechanical cutting by GORs was not obvious, which is quite different from the case of graphene oxide sheets to E. coli.
