Ability of the marine bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens BA3SM1 to counteract the toxicity of CdSe nanoparticles.

UNLABELLED: In the marine environment, bacteria from estuarine and coastal sediments are among the first targets of nanoparticle pollution; it is therefore relevant to improve the knowledge of interactions between bacteria and nanoparticles. In this work, the response of the marine bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens BA3SM1 to CdSe nanocrystals (CdSe NPs) of 3nm (NP3) and 8nm (NP8) in diameter was evaluated through microscopic, physiological, biochemical and proteomic approaches. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that NP3 were able to penetrate the bacteria, while NP8 were highly concentrated around the cells, embedded in large exopolysaccharides. In our experimental conditions, both CdSe NP sizes induced a decrease in respiration during the stationary growth phase, while only NP8 caused growth retardation and a decrease in pyoverdine production. Proteomic analyses highlighted that the strain responded to CdSe NP toxicity by inducing various defence mechanisms such as cell aggregation, extracellular CdSe NP sequestration, effective protection against oxidative stress, modifications of envelope organization and properties, and cadmium export. In addition, BA3SM1 presented a biosorption capacity of 1.6×10(16)NP3/g dry weight and 1.7×10(15)NP8/g dry weight. This strain therefore appears as a promising agent for NP bioremediation processes. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD004012.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report focussing on the effects of CdSe colloidal nanocrystals (CdSe NPs) on a marine strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens. CdSe NPs are extensively used in the industry of renewable energies and it is regrettably expected that these pollutants will sometime soon appear in the marine environment through surface runoff, urban effluents and rivers. Bacteria living in estuarine and coastal sediments will be among the first targets of these new pollutants. The pseudomonads are frequently found in these ecosystems. They are involved in several biogeochemical cycles and are known for their high resistance to pollutants. Consequently, this study focussing on the effects of CdSe NPs on the marine strain P. fluorescens BA3SM1 is highly relevant for several reasons. First, it aims at improving knowledge about the interactions between bacteria and NPs. This is fundamental to effectively use NPs against pathogenic bacteria. Secondly, in spite of CdSe NP interactions with the bacterial cells, the strain BA3SM1 can develop various strategies to counteract CdSe NP toxicity and ensure its growth. It exhibits interesting properties to sequester CdSe NPs and it retains its ability to form biofilm. The strain therefore appears as a promising agent for NP bioremediation thanks to biofiltration processes. Finally, this study shows that CdSe NPs of 8nm in diameter cause a decrease in the secretion of siderophore pyoverdine, a secondary metabolite playing a key role in microbial ecology since it drives bacterial survival and competitiveness in ecosystems. Bacteria producing effective siderophores survive better in a Fe-deficient environment where they antagonize the growth of other microbes thought iron deprivation. Furthermore, siderophores are also employed as virulence factors in human pathogenic strains such as P. aeruginosa. Consequently, this study highlights that NPs can impact the secondary metabolism of bacteria with environmental and medical implications. In addition, in this work, Data-Dependant Acquisition (DDA) provided state of the art Mass Spectrometry data by Spectral Counting and MS1 Label-Free. The combination of these two well-known proteomic techniques including manual validations strengthened the identification and quantification of regulated proteins. Moreover, numerous correlations between proteomic analyses and other observations (physiological, biochemical, microscopic) consolidated our interpretations.