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Photodynamic inactivation of Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilms and planktonic cells by 5-aminolevulinic acid and 5-aminolevulinic acid methyl ester

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Abstract

The treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae, particularly extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing K. pneumoniae, is currently a great challenge. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy is a promising approach for killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and its derivative 5-ALA methyl ester (MAL) in the presence of white light to cause photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of K. pneumoniae planktonic and biofilm cells. In the presence of white light, 5-ALA and MAL inactivated planktonic cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Biofilms were also sensitive to 5-ALA and MAL-mediated PDI. The mechanisms by which 5-ALA and MAL caused PDI of ESBL-producing K. pneumonia were also investigated. Exposure of K. pneumonia to light in the presence of either 5-ALA or MAL induced cleavage of genomic DNA and the rapid release of intracellular biopolymers. Intensely denatured cytoplasmic contents and aggregated ribosomes were also detected by transmission electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy showed that PDI of biofilms caused aggregated bacteria to detach and that the bacterial cell envelope was damaged. This study provides insights into 5-ALA and MAL-mediated PDI of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae.

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Acknowledgments

We are really grateful for assistance from Professor Kewu Yang at the College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, China. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81401710), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2014M562424 and 2015T81034), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710061, People’s Republic of China

    Chengcheng Liu, Lei Han, Jin’e Lei, Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq & Jiru Xu

  2. The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 277 West Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710061, People’s Republic of China

    Yingli Zhou, Li Wang & Jin’e Lei

  3. Department of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8LD, UK

    Sean P. Nair

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  1. Chengcheng Liu
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  2. Yingli Zhou
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  3. Li Wang
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  4. Lei Han
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  7. Sean P. Nair
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Correspondence to Sean P. Nair or Jiru Xu.

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Liu, C., Zhou, Y., Wang, L. et al. Photodynamic inactivation of Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilms and planktonic cells by 5-aminolevulinic acid and 5-aminolevulinic acid methyl ester. Lasers Med Sci 31, 557–565 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-016-1891-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-016-1891-1

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