Toxicity of ZnO and TiO₂ to Escherichia coli cells.

ABSTRACT: We performed a comprehensive investigation of the toxicity of ZnO and TiO₂ nanoparticles using Escherichia coli as a model organism. Both materials are wide band gap n-type semiconductors and they can interact with lipopolysaccharide molecules present in the outer membrane of E. coli, as well as produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under UV illumination. Despite the similarities in their properties, the response of the bacteria to the two nanomaterials was fundamentally different. When the ROS generation is observed, the toxicity of nanomaterial is commonly attributed to oxidative stress and cell membrane damage caused by lipid peroxidation. However, we found that significant toxicity does not necessarily correlate with up-regulation of ROS-related proteins. TiO₂ exh

SUBMITTER: Leung YH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5378928 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature