A Possible Flow Cytometry-Based Viability and Vitality Assessment Protocol for Pathogenic Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 Postexposure to Simulated Gastric Fluid

Raman cell sorting for single-cell research

Cells constitute the fundamental units of living organisms. Investigating individual differences at the single-cell level facilitates an understanding of cell differentiation, development, gene expression, and cellular characteristics, unveiling the underlying laws governing life activities in depth. In recent years, the integration of single-cell manipulation and recognition technologies into detection and sorting systems has emerged as a powerful tool for advancing single-cell research. Raman cell sorting technology has garnered attention owing to its non-labeling, non-destructive detection features and the capability to analyze samples containing water. In addition, this technology can provide live cells for subsequent genomics analysis and gene sequencing. This paper emphasizes the importance of single-cell research, describes the single-cell research methods that currently exist, including single-cell manipulation and single-cell identification techniques, and highlights the advantages of Raman spectroscopy in the field of single-cell analysis by comparing it with the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) technique. It describes various existing Raman cell sorting techniques and introduces their respective advantages and disadvantages. The above techniques were compared and analyzed, considering a variety of factors. The current bottlenecks include weak single-cell spontaneous Raman signals and the requirement for a prolonged total cell exposure time, significantly constraining Raman cell sorting technology's detection speed, efficiency, and throughput. This paper provides an overview of current methods for enhancing weak spontaneous Raman signals and their associated advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the paper outlines the detailed information related to the Raman cell sorting technology mentioned in this paper and discusses the development trends and direction of Raman cell sorting.

Opportunities in optical and electrical single-cell technologies to study microbial ecosystems

New techniques are revolutionizing single-cell research, allowing us to study microbes at unprecedented scales and in unparalleled depth. This review highlights the state-of-the-art technologies in single-cell analysis in microbial ecology applications, with particular attention to both optical tools, i.e., specialized use of flow cytometry and Raman spectroscopy and emerging electrical techniques. The objectives of this review include showcasing the diversity of single-cell optical approaches for studying microbiological phenomena, highlighting successful applications in understanding microbial systems, discussing emerging techniques, and encouraging the combination of established and novel approaches to address research questions. The review aims to answer key questions such as how single-cell approaches have advanced our understanding of individual and interacting cells, how they have been used to study uncultured microbes, which new analysis tools will become widespread, and how they contribute to our knowledge of ecological interactions.

Attenuation of quorum sensing system and virulence in Vibrio cholerae by phytomolecules

The Vibrio cholerae, a gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of cholera. Quorum sensing is a cell-to-cell communication that leads to gene expression, accumulation of signaling molecules, biofilm formation, and production of virulence factors. The quorum sensing pathway in V. cholerae is regulated by luxO, and biofilm formation and other virulence factors are positively controlled by aphA and negatively by hapR. Hence, targeting the global regulator luxO would be a promising approach to modulate the QS to curtail V. cholerae pathogenesis. The present study investigated the modulating activity of quercetin and naringenin on biofilm formation and quorum-sensing regulated phenotypes in V. cholerae. Then after we determined the anti-quorum sensing capability of phytomolecules against the model organism Chromobacterium violaceum. Also, we performed flow cytometry for live/dead bacteria, MTT assay, CLSM, and growth curve analysis to determine their role as QS modulators rather than anti-bacterial. V. cholerae strains VC287 and N16961 formed thick biofilm. We observed a two-fold reduction in the expression of biofilm-associated genes comprising gbpA, vpsA, rbmA, and mbaA in the presence of phytomolecules indicating that phytomolecules modulate quorum sensing pathway rather than killing the bacteria. These phytomolecules were non-toxic and non-hemolytic and had anti-adhesion and anti-invasion properties. In addition, quercetin and naringenin were found to be highly effective compared to known quorum-sensing inhibitors terrein and furanone C-30. Thus, this study provides evidence that phytomolecules: quercetin and naringenin modulate the quorum-sensing pathway rather than killing the bacteria and can be used as an anti-quorum-sensing molecule for therapy against the pathogen.

Infection-activated lipopeptide nanotherapeutics with adaptable geometrical morphology for in vivo bacterial ablation

The nonselective membrane disruption of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) helps in combating the antibacterial resistance. But their overall positive charges lead to undesirable hemolysis and toxicity toward normal living cells, as well as the rapid clearance from blood circulation. In consequence, developing smart AMPs to optimize the antimicrobial outcomes is highly urgent. Relying on the local acidity of microbial infection sites, in this work, we designed an acidity-triggered charge reversal nanotherapeutics with adaptable geometrical morphology for bacterial targeting and optimized therapy. C₁₆-A₃K₄-CONH₂ was proposed and the ε-amino groups in lysine residues were acylated by dimethylmaleic amide (DMA), enabling the generated C₁₆-A₃K₄(DMA)-CONH₂ to self-assemble into negatively charged spherical nanostructure, which relieved the protein adsorption and prolonged blood circulation in vivo. After the access of C₁₆-A₃K₄(DMA)-CONH₂ into the microbial infection sites, acid-sensitive β-carboxylic amide would hydrolyze to regenerate the positive C₁₆-A₃K₄-CONH₂ to destabilize the negatively charged bacterial membrane. In the meanwhile, attractively, the self-assembled spherical nanoparticle transformed to rod-like nanostructure, which was in favor of the efficient binding with bacterial membranes due to the larger contact area. Our results showed that the acid-activated AMP nanotherapeutics exhibited strong and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against Yeast, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative Escherichia coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Moreover, the biocompatible lipopeptide nanotherapeutics dramatically improved the dermapostasis caused by bacterial infection. The strategy of merging pathology-activated therapeutic function and morphological adaptation to augment therapeutic outcomes shows the great potential for bacterial inhibition. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The overall positive charges of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) lead to undesirable hemolysis and nonselective toxicity, as well as the rapid clearance from blood circulation. Infection-activated lipopeptide nanotherapeutics with adaptable geometrical morphology were developed to address these issues. The self-assembled lipopeptide was pre-decorated to reverse the positive charge to reduce the hemolysis and nonselective cytotoxicity. After accessing the acidic infection sites, the nanotherapeutics recovered the positive charge to destabilize negatively charged bacterial membranes. Meanwhile, the morphology of self-assembled nanotherapeutics transformed from spherical nanoparticles to rod-like nanostructures in the lesion site, facilitating the improved association with bacterial membranes to boost the therapeutic efficiency. These results provide new design rationale for AMPs developed for bacterial inhibition.