Enhanced detection sensitivity of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using surface-modified gold nanorods.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) is a Gram negative and highly virulent bacteria found in food and water sources, and is a leading cause of chronic diseases worldwide. Diagnosis and prevention from the infection require simple and rapid analysis methods for the detection of pathogens, including O157. Endogenous membrane peroxidase, an enzyme present on the surface of O157, was used for the colorimetric detection of bacteria by catalytic oxidation of the peroxidase substrate. In this study, we have analyzed the impact of the synthesized bare gold nanorods (AuNRs) and silica-coated AuNRs on the growth of E. coli O157. Along with the membrane peroxidase activity of O157, other bacteria strains were analyzed. Different concentrations of nanorods were used to analyze the growth responses, enzymatic changes, and morphological alterations of bacteria by measuring optical density, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine assay, flow cytometry analysis, and microscopy studies. The results revealed that O157 showed higher and continuous membrane peroxidase activity than other bacteria. Furthermore, O157 treated with bare AuNRs showed a decreased growth rate in comparison with the bacteria with surface modified AuNRs. Interestingly, silica-coated AuNRs favored the growth of bacteria and also increased membrane peroxidase activity. This result can be particularly important for the enzymatic analysis of surface treated AuNRs in various microbiological applicants.