TY - JOUR
T1 - Antibacterial Activity of Chlorhexidine-Killed Bacteria
T2 - The Zombie Cell Effect
AU - Ben-Knaz Wakshlak, Racheli
AU - Pedahzur, Rami
AU - Avnir, David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2019/12/17
Y1 - 2019/12/17
N2 - We report a biocidal zombie effect of chlorhexidine, a wide-scope biocidal agent commonly used in disinfectant and antiseptic formulations. The zombie effect refers to the ability of dead bacteria killed by a biocidal agent to act as efficient biocidal agents toward a new generation of viable bacteria. The killed bacteria serve as a reservoir for the antibacterial agent incorporated within them; and the new viable population of bacteria acts as a trap of the bioactive agent, shifting the equilibrium of this agent between the reservoir in the dead cells and their aqueous environment. This report is a major generalization of the zombie phenomenon reported previously for silver from the points of view of extending to organic antibacterial agents; extending the effect to both Gram-negative - Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 - and Gram positive - Staphylococcus aureus - representative bacteria; showing that the zombie effect is maintained in the second and third generations; showing the effect to operate in an environment of growth media, which extends it to life-supporting environments; and proving that cross-killing is possible, that is, killed S. aureus cells fully inactivated viable P. aeruginosa.
AB - We report a biocidal zombie effect of chlorhexidine, a wide-scope biocidal agent commonly used in disinfectant and antiseptic formulations. The zombie effect refers to the ability of dead bacteria killed by a biocidal agent to act as efficient biocidal agents toward a new generation of viable bacteria. The killed bacteria serve as a reservoir for the antibacterial agent incorporated within them; and the new viable population of bacteria acts as a trap of the bioactive agent, shifting the equilibrium of this agent between the reservoir in the dead cells and their aqueous environment. This report is a major generalization of the zombie phenomenon reported previously for silver from the points of view of extending to organic antibacterial agents; extending the effect to both Gram-negative - Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 - and Gram positive - Staphylococcus aureus - representative bacteria; showing that the zombie effect is maintained in the second and third generations; showing the effect to operate in an environment of growth media, which extends it to life-supporting environments; and proving that cross-killing is possible, that is, killed S. aureus cells fully inactivated viable P. aeruginosa.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85076280512&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acsomega.9b00297
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.9b00297
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AN - SCOPUS:85076280512
SN - 2470-1343
VL - 4
SP - 20868
EP - 20872
JO - ACS Omega
JF - ACS Omega
IS - 25
ER -