V. A. Nadtochenko

Antibacterial effects of silver nanoparticles on gram-negative bacteria: Influence on the growth and biofilms formation, mechanisms of action

Antibacterial action of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) on Gram-negative bacteria (planctonic cells and biofilms) is reported in this study. AgNP of 8.3 nm in diameter stabilized by hydrolyzed casein peptides strongly inhibited biofilms formation of Escherichia coli AB1157, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Serratia proteamaculans 94 in concentrations of 4-5 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml and 10-20 μg/ml, respectively. The viability of E. coli AB1157 cells in biofilms was considerably reduced by AgNP concentrations above 100 to -150 μg/ml. E. coli strains with mutations in genes responsible for the repair of DNA containing oxidative lesions (mutY, mutS, mutM, mutT, nth) were less resistant to AgNP than wild type strains. This suggests that these genes may be involved in the repair of DNA damage caused by AgNP. E. coli mutants deficient in excision repair, SOS-response and in the synthesis of global regulators RpoS, CRP protein and Lon protease present similar resistance to AgNP as wild type cells. LuxI/LuxR Quorum Sensing systems did not participate in the control of sensitivity to AgNP of Pseudomonas and Serratia. E. coli mutant strains deficient in OmpF or OmpC porins were 4-8 times more resistant to AgNP as compared to the wild type strain. This suggests that porins have an important function related AgNP antibacterial effects.

Femtosecond primary charge separation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 photosystem I

The ultrafast (<100 fs) conversion of delocalized exciton into charge-separated state between the primary donor P700 (bleaching at 705 nm) and the primary acceptor A0 (bleaching at 690 nm) in photosystem I (PS I) complexes from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was observed. The data were obtained by application of pump-probe technique with 20-fs low-energy pump pulses centered at 720 nm. The earliest absorbance changes (close to zero delay) with a bleaching at 690 nm are similar to the product of the absorption spectrum of PS I complex and the laser pulse spectrum, which represents the efficiency spectrum of the light absorption by PS I upon femtosecond excitation centered at 720 nm. During the first approximately 60 fs the energy transfer from the chlorophyll (Chl) species bleaching at 690 nm to the Chl bleaching at 705 nm occurs, resulting in almost equal bleaching of the two forms with the formation of delocalized exciton between 690-nm and 705-nm Chls. Within the next approximately 40 fs the formation of a new broad band centered at approximately 660 nm (attributed to the appearance of Chl anion radical) is observed. This band decays with time constant simultaneously with an electron transfer to A1 (phylloquinone). The subtraction of kinetic difference absorption spectra of the closed (state P700+A0A1) PS I reaction center (RC) from that of the open (state P700A0A1) RC reveals the pure spectrum of the P700+A0- ion-radical pair. The experimental data were analyzed using a simple kinetic scheme: An*-->k1[(PA0)*A1--><100 fs P+A0-A1]-->k2P+A0A1-, and a global fitting procedure based on the singular value decomposition analysis. The calculated kinetics of transitions between intermediate states and their spectra were similar to the kinetics recorded at 694 and 705 nm and the experimental spectra obtained by subtraction of the spectra of closed RCs from the spectra of open RCs. As a result, we found that the main events in RCs of PS I under our experimental conditions include very fast (<100 fs) charge separation with the formation of the P700+A0-A1 state in approximately one half of the RCs, the approximately 5-ps energy transfer from antenna Chl* to P700A0A1 in the remaining RCs, and approximately 25-ps formation of the secondary radical pair P700+A0A1-.

P680 (PD1PD2) and ChlD1 as alternative electron donors in photosystem II core complexes and isolated reaction centers

Low temperature (77-90 K) measurements of absorption spectral changes induced by red light illumination in isolated photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers (RCs, D1/D2/Cyt b559 complex) with different external acceptors and in PSII core complexes have shown that two different electron donors can alternatively function in PSII: chlorophyll (Chl) dimer P(680) absorbing at 684 nm and Chl monomer Chl(D1) absorbing at 674 nm. Under physiological conditions (278 K) transient absorption difference spectroscopy with 20-fs resolution was applied to study primary charge separation in spinach PSII core complexes excited at 710 nm. It was shown that the initial electron transfer reaction takes place with a time constant of ~0.9 ps. This kinetics was ascribed to charge separation between P(680)* and Chl(D1) absorbing at 670 nm accompanied by the formation of the primary charge-separated state P(680)(+)Chl(DI)(-), as indicated by 0.9-ps transient bleaching at 670 nm. The subsequent electron transfer from Chl(D1)(-) occurred within 13-14 ps and was accompanied by relaxation of the 670-nm band, bleaching of the Pheo(D1) Q(x) absorption band at 545 nm, and development of the anion-radical band of Pheo(D1)(-) at 450-460 nm, the latter two attributable to formation of the secondary radical pair P(680)(+)Pheo(D1)(-). The 14-ps relaxation of the 670-nm band was previously assigned to the Chl(D1) absorption in isolated PSII RCs [Shelaev, Gostev, Nadtochenko, Shkuropatov, Zabelin, Mamedov, Semenov, Sarkisov and Shuvalov, Photosynth. Res. 98 (2008) 95-103]. We suggest that the longer wavelength position of P(680) (near 680 nm) as a primary electron donor and the shorter wavelength position of Chl(D1) (near 670 nm) as a primary acceptor within the Q(y) transitions in RC allow an effective competition with an energy transfer and stabilization of separated charges. Although an alternative mechanism of charge separation with Chl(D1)* as the primary electron donor and Pheo(D1) as the primary acceptor cannot be ruled out, the 20-fs excitation at the far-red tail of the PSII core complex absorption spectrum at 710 nm appears to induce a transition to a low-energy state P(680)* with charge-transfer character (probably P(D1)(δ+)P(D2)(δ-)) which results in an effective electron transfer from P(680)* (the primary electron donor) to Chl(D1) as the intermediary acceptor.

Photochemical and photophysical properties ofmeso-tetraferrocenylporphyrin. Quenching ofmeso-tetraphenylporphyrin by ferrocene

It was found that the quantum yield of the fluorescence ofmeso-tetraferrocenylporphyrin (TFcP) is at most 3.0·10−5, and that of the triplet state of FTcP is at least 200 times lower than the quantum yield ofmeso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP). Excitation of TFcP in CCl4 by light with λ>410 nm results in the oxidation of TFcP. The singlet and triplet excited states of TPP in toluene and acetonitrile are quenched by ferrocene with rate constants of 1.2·1010 and 1.7·1010, (4.6±0.5)·108 and (1.37±0.21)·109 L mol−1 s−1, respectively. The quenching mechanisms are discussed.

Preparation and Mechanism of Cu-Decorated TiO2–ZrO2 Films Showing Accelerated Bacterial Inactivation

Antibacterial robust, uniform TiO2-ZrO2 films on polyester (PES) under low intensity sunlight irradiation made up by equal amounts of TiO2 and ZrO2 exhibited a much higher bacterial inactivation kinetics compared to pure TiO2 or ZrO2. The TiO2-ZrO2 matrix was found to introduce a drastic increase in the Cu-dopant promoter enhancing bacterial inactivation compared to Cu sputtered in the same amount on PES. Furthermore, the bacterial inactivation was accelerated by a factor close to three, by Cu- on TiO2-ZrO2 at extremely low levels ∼0.01%. Evidence is presented by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for redox catalysis taking place during bacterial inactivation. The TiO2-ZrO2-Cu band gap is estimated and the film properties were fully characterized. Evidence is provided for the photogenerated radicals intervening in the bacterial inactivation. The photoinduced TiO2-ZrO2-Cu interfacial charge transfer is discussed in term of the electronic band positions of the binary oxide and the Cu TiO2 intragap state.

Femtosecond relaxation of photoexcited states in nanosized semiconductor particles of iron oxides

Relaxation of photoexcited states in nanosized semiconductor particles of iron oxides was studied by femtosecond laser photolysis techniques: (1) in an aqueous colloidal solution of α-Fe2O3; (2) in Fe2O3 particles in the Nafion® cation-exchange polymeric membrane; (3) in an aqueous colloid of γ-Fe2O3; and (4) in nanocrystals of ferrihydrite 5Fe2O3·9H2O, which are contained in the protein shell of ferritine. The photoinduced excited states relax at the femtosecond and picosecond time scale. The spectra of photoinduced absorption of photoexcited states and the relaxation dynamics in the studied iron oxides weakly depend on the structure and surface environment of a nanoparticle.

Rotational reorientation dynamics of C60 in various solvents. Picosecond transient grating experiments

Abstract The picosecond transient grating technique has been used to study the rotational reorientation of C 60 in various solvents: in toluene 7± 1.5 ps, o -dichlorobenzene 10.3± 1.5 ps, o -xylene 13±2 ps and in decalin 3.5± 1.5 ps. The data obtained cannot be described by hydrodynamic Debye theory. Rough-sphere fluid theory predicts the correct values for C 60 rotation in toluene, o -dichlorobenzene and in decalin. The deviations for o -xylene are probably connected with the specifics of the local solvent structure or with the stronger interaction of C 60 with solvent molecules. The rotation of C 60 in decalin is rapid and approaches the rotation in the gas phase determined by inertia.

Evidence that histidine forms a coordination bond to the A0A and A0B chlorophylls and a second H-bond to the A1A and A1B phylloquinones in M688HPsaA and M668HPsaB variants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

The axial ligands of the acceptor chlorophylls, A(0A) and A(0B), in Photosystem I are the Met sulfur atoms of M688(PsaA) and M668(PsaB). To determine the role of the Met, His variants were generated in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Molecular dynamics simulations on M688H(PsaA) show that there exist low energy conformations with the His coordinated to A(0A) and possibly H-bonded to A(1A). Transient EPR studies on M688H(PsaA) indicate a more symmetrical electron spin distribution in the A(1A) phyllosemiquinone ring consistent with the presence of an H-bond to the C1 carbonyl. Ultrafast optical studies on the variants show that the 150fs charge separation between P₇₀₀ and A(0) remains unaffected. Studies on the ns timescale show that 57% of the electrons are transferred from A(0A)(-) to A(1A) in M688H(PsaA) and 48% from A(0B)(-) to A(1B) in M668H(PsaB); the remainder recombine with P₇₀₀(+) with 1/e times of 25ns and 37ns, respectively. Those electrons that reach A(1A) and A(1B) in the branch carrying the mutation are not transferred to FX, but recombine with P₇₀₀(+) with 1/e times of ~15μs and ~5μs, respectively. Hence, the His is coordinated to A0 in all populations, but in a second population, the His may be additionally H-bonded to A(1). Electron transfer from A(0) to A(1) occurs only in the latter, but the higher redox potentials of A(0) and A(1) as a result of the stronger coordination bond to A(0) and the proposed second H-bond to A(1) preclude electron transfer to the Fe/S clusters.

Triplet-excited dye molecules (eosine and methylene blue) quenching by H2O2 in aqueous solutions

Abstract The quenching of the triplet-excited dyes eosine and methylene blue (MB) by H2O2 has been studied by laser and steady-state photolysis. The quenching rate constant of the eosine triplet is kq = 2.4 ± 0.3 × 105 (M s)−1 and rate constant of MB quenching with H2O2 was found to be kq = 6.5 ± 0.5 × 105 (M s)−1. The decolorization of both dyes is accelerated upon H2O2 addition under steady-state photolysis and the redox reaction mechanism is suggested. The quantum yield for ion-radicals formation obtained were: for eosine 0.01 ± 0.005 and 0.03 ± 0.01 for MB. This latter observation provides the evidence for stability of these dyes under light irradiation in the presence of H2O2.

Photophysical properties of C@60: picosecond study of intersystem crossing

Abstract The picosecond transient absorption spectrum of C 60 in toluene was obtained in the region 420-1100 nm and a new transient absorption band near 1000 nm was discovered. This band was attributed to the S 1 —S x transition, probably between configurations (h u ) 9 (t 1g ) 1 ← (h u ) 9 (t 1u ) 1 . The intersystem crossing time τ= 830±190 ps was estimated from the S 1 —S x absorption decay and from the creation of the T 1 -T x absorption band.