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Anti-biofilm Activity of Graphene Quantum Dots via Self-Assembly with Bacterial Amyloid Proteins

View ORCID ProfileYichun Wang, Usha Kadiyala, Zhibei Qu, Paolo Elvati, Christopher Altheim, Nicholas A. Kotov, Angela Violi, J. Scott VanEpps
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/550285
Yichun Wang
aDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
bBiointerfaces Institute University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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  • ORCID record for Yichun Wang
Usha Kadiyala
cDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Zhibei Qu
aDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
bBiointerfaces Institute University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Paolo Elvati
dDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Christopher Altheim
cDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Nicholas A. Kotov
aDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
bBiointerfaces Institute University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
eDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
fDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
gDepartment of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
hMichigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Angela Violi
aDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
dDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
fDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
jBiophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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J. Scott VanEpps
bBiointerfaces Institute University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
cDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
hMichigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
iDepartment of Applied Physics, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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  • For correspondence: jvane@med.umich.edu
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ABSTRACT

Bacterial biofilms represent an essential part of Earth’s ecosystem that can cause multiple ecological, technological and health problems. The environmental resilience and sophisticated organization of biofilms are enabled by the extracellular matrix that creates a protective network of biomolecules around the bacterial community. Current anti-biofilm agents can interfere with extracellular matrix production but, being based on small molecules, are degraded by bacteria and rapidly diffuse away from biofilms. Both factors severely reduce their efficacy, while their toxicity to higher organisms create additional barriers to their practicality. In this paper we report on the ability of graphene quantum dots to effectively disperse mature Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, interfering with the self-assembly of amyloid fibers - a key structural component of the extracellular matrix. Mimicking peptide-binding biomolecules, graphene quantum dots form supramolecular complexes with phenol soluble modulins, the peptide monomers of amyloid fibers. Experimental and computational results show that graphene quantum dots efficiently dock near the N-terminus of the peptide and change the secondary structure of phenol soluble modulins, which disrupts their fibrillation and represents a novel strategy for mitigation of bacterial communities.

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GQD mediated staphylococcal biofilm dispersal. GQDs interact with PSM peptides and frustrate the fibrillation process. The reduction in amyloid fibers prevents robust stabilization of the biofilm. In addition, there is an increase in free monomeric and oligomeric PSM peptides which trigger dispersal events.

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Posted February 19, 2019.
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Anti-biofilm Activity of Graphene Quantum Dots via Self-Assembly with Bacterial Amyloid Proteins
Yichun Wang, Usha Kadiyala, Zhibei Qu, Paolo Elvati, Christopher Altheim, Nicholas A. Kotov, Angela Violi, J. Scott VanEpps
bioRxiv 550285; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/550285
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Anti-biofilm Activity of Graphene Quantum Dots via Self-Assembly with Bacterial Amyloid Proteins
Yichun Wang, Usha Kadiyala, Zhibei Qu, Paolo Elvati, Christopher Altheim, Nicholas A. Kotov, Angela Violi, J. Scott VanEpps
bioRxiv 550285; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/550285

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