Effect of High Intensity Blue Light on Fusobacterium nucleatum Membrane Integrity

AbstractOral malodour is considered to be caused mainly by the production of volatile sulfide compounds (VSC) by anaerobic Gram ‐negative oral bacteria. Previous studies showed that these bacteria were susceptible to blue light phototoxicity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, we tested the effect of blue light on the integrityFusobacterium nucleatum's membrane, cellular proteins and DNA. Bacterial samples were exposed to high intensity blue light for 0, 70, 140, and 280 sec (i.e. fluences of 0, 96, 192 and 384 J/cm2, respectively). Following light exposure bacterial samples were examined for membrane damage using fluorescence microscopy, intra ‐cellular protein analysis using electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) and DNA fragmentation using ultra‐filtration. Results showed that the increasing exposure of bacterial samples to blue light caused increased membrane permeability concomitant with a reduction in intra‐cellular proteins and DNA frag ments content. These results suggest that membrane damage is the main effect of high intensity blue light exposure on malodour producing bacteria.

Source: Photochemistry and Photobiology - August 12, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Uziel Jeffet, Rachel Shimon, Nir Sterer Tags: Research Article Source Type: research