Synchrotron FTIR spectroscopy reveals molecular changes in Escherichia coli upon Cu^2＋ exposure

Copper ions(e.g.,Cu^(2+)) have outstanding antibacterial properties,but the exact mechanism is rather complex and not fully understood.In this work,synchrotron Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy was used as an analytical tool to investigate the CuCl_2-induced biochemical changes in Escherichia coli.Our spectral measurements indicated that this technique is sensitive enough to detect changes in membrane lipids,nucleic acids,peptidoglycans and proteins of Cu^(2+)-treated bacteria.Interestingly,for short-time treated cells,the effects on phospholipid composition were clearly shown,while no significant alterations of proteins,nucleic acids and peptidoglycans were found.PeakForce quantitative nano-mechanics mode atomic force microscopy(AFM)confirmed the changes in the topography and mechanical properties of bacteria upon the Cu^(2+) exposure.This study demonstrated that FTIR spectroscopy combined with AFM can provide more comprehensive evaluation on the biochemical and mechanical responses of bacteria to copper.