DOI: 10.1128/aem.65.9.4094-4098.1999. Bactericidal Activity of Photocatalytic TiO <sub>2</sub> Reaction: toward an Understanding of Its Killing Mechanism

Bactericidal Activity of Photocatalytic TiO 2 Reaction: toward an Understanding of Its Killing Mechanism

10.1128/aem.65.9.4094-4098.1999

Crossref journal-article

American Society for Microbiology

Applied and Environmental Microbiology (235)

Abstract

ABSTRACT When titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is irradiated with near-UV light, this semiconductor exhibits strong bactericidal activity. In this paper, we present the first evidence that the lipid peroxidation reaction is the underlying mechanism of death of Escherichia coli K-12 cells that are irradiated in the presence of the TiO 2 photocatalyst. Using production of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index to assess cell membrane damage by lipid peroxidation, we observed that there was an exponential increase in the production of MDA, whose concentration reached 1.1 to 2.4 nmol · mg (dry weight) of cells −1 after 30 min of illumination, and that the kinetics of this process paralleled cell death. Under these conditions, concomitant losses of 77 to 93% of the cell respiratory activity were also detected, as measured by both oxygen uptake and reduction of 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride from succinate as the electron donor. The occurrence of lipid peroxidation and the simultaneous losses of both membrane-dependent respiratory activity and cell viability depended strictly on the presence of both light and TiO 2 . We concluded that TiO 2 photocatalysis promoted peroxidation of the polyunsaturated phospholipid component of the lipid membrane initially and induced major disorder in the E. coli cell membrane. Subsequently, essential functions that rely on intact cell membrane architecture, such as respiratory activity, were lost, and cell death was inevitable.

Bibliography

Maness, P.-C., Smolinski, S., Blake, D. M., Huang, Z., Wolfrum, E. J., & Jacoby, W. A. (1999). Bactericidal Activity of Photocatalytic TiO 2 Reaction: toward an Understanding of Its Killing Mechanism. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65(9), 4094â4098.

Authors 6

Pin-Ching Maness (first)
Sharon Smolinski (additional)
Daniel M. Blake (additional)
Zheng Huang (additional)
Edward J. Wolfrum (additional)
William A. Jacoby (additional)

References 36 Referenced 1,213

10.1016/0921-8777(94)90011-6
Aust S. Lipid peroxidation CRC handbook of methods for oxygen radical research. Greenwald R. A. 1987 203 207 CRC Press Inc. Boca Raton Fla
10.1080/03602549909351643
10.1006/bbrc.1996.0521
10.1016/S0926-3373(97)00101-X
10.1246/bcsj.64.1268
10.1016/0005-2760(95)00162-6
10.1126/science.8079172
10.1016/0076-6879(90)86135-I
10.1016/0076-6879(90)86134-H
10.1128/jb.170.4.1837-1842.1988
10.1115/1.2871871
Gutteridge J. M. C. Lipid peroxidation: some problems and concepts Oxygen radicals and tissue injury. Proceedings of a Brook Lodge Symposium. Halliwell B. 1987 9 19 Upjohn Co. Bethesda Md
10.1021/cr00033a004
Huang Z. Maness P. C. Smolinski S. Blake D. M. Jacoby W. A. Wolfrum E. J. Effects of titanium dioxide photocatalytic reaction on the permeability of E. coli abstr. Q-234 Abstracts of the 99th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology 1999. 1999 578 American Society for Microbiology Washington D.C
10.1128/aem.59.5.1668-1670.1993
10.1021/es980036f
Kappus H. Lipid peroxidation: mechanisms analysis enzymology and biological relevance Oxidative stress. Sies H. 1985 273 310 Academic Press Inc. New York N.Y (10.1016/B978-0-12-642760-8.50016-8)
10.1021/cr00018a003
10.1111/j.1574-6968.1985.tb00864.x
10.1128/aem.54.6.1330-1333.1988
10.1016/S1010-6030(97)00118-4
10.1128/aem.59.9.2784-2789.1993
10.1042/bj3220317
10.1016/1011-1344(92)85115-B
Sakai H. Cai R. Hashimoto K. Kato T. Hashimoto K. Fujishima A. Kubota Y. Ito E. Yoshioka T. Photocatalytic effect of TiO2 particles on tumor cells—study on mechanism of cell death by measuring concentration of intracellular calcium ion. Photomed. Photobiol. 12 1990 135 138 / Photomed. Photobiol. / Photocatalytic effect of TiO2 particles on tumor cells—study on mechanism of cell death by measuring concentration of intracellular calcium ion. by Sakai H. (1990)
10.1016/0304-4165(94)90049-3
10.1016/S0167-7012(97)00036-5
10.1016/0141-0229(79)90049-8
10.1163/156856797X00547
10.1021/es970860o
10.1016/0003-9861(82)90001-7
10.1016/S0021-9258(18)34336-9
10.1021/es00054a027
Wilkinson S. G. Gram-negative bacteria Microbial lipids Ratledge C. Wilkinson S. G. 1 1988 299 317 Academic Press San Diego, Calif / Microbial lipids / Gram-negative bacteria by Wilkinson S. G. (1988)
10.1128/aem.36.6.926-935.1978

Dates

Type	When
Created	5 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 19, 2019, 2:55 p.m.)
Deposited	3 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 23, 2022, 4:01 a.m.)
Indexed	2 days, 14 hours ago (Sept. 3, 2025, 5:54 a.m.)
Issued	26 years ago (Sept. 1, 1999)
Published	26 years ago (Sept. 1, 1999)
Published Print	26 years ago (Sept. 1, 1999)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Maness_1999, title={Bactericidal Activity of Photocatalytic TiO 2 Reaction: toward an Understanding of Its Killing Mechanism}, volume={65}, ISSN={1098-5336}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.65.9.4094-4098.1999}, DOI={10.1128/aem.65.9.4094-4098.1999}, number={9}, journal={Applied and Environmental Microbiology}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Maness, Pin-Ching and Smolinski, Sharon and Blake, Daniel M. and Huang, Zheng and Wolfrum, Edward J. and Jacoby, William A.}, year={1999}, month=sep, pages={4094–4098} }

JSON

{
  "indexed": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025,
        9,
        3
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2025-09-03T09:54:41Z",
    "timestamp": 1756893281936
  },
  "reference-count": 36,
  "publisher": "American Society for Microbiology",
  "issue": "9",
  "license": [
    {
      "start": {
        "date-parts": [
          [
            1999,
            9,
            1
          ]
        ],
        "date-time": "1999-09-01T00:00:00Z",
        "timestamp": 936144000000
      },
      "content-version": "tdm",
      "delay-in-days": 0,
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/non-commercial-tdm-license"
    }
  ],
  "content-domain": {
    "domain": [
      "journals.asm.org"
    ],
    "crossmark-restriction": true
  },
  "published-print": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1999,
        9
      ]
    ]
  },
  "abstract": "<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title>\n          <jats:p>\n            When titanium dioxide (TiO\n            <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n            ) is irradiated with near-UV light, this semiconductor exhibits strong bactericidal activity. In this paper, we present the first evidence that the lipid peroxidation reaction is the underlying mechanism of death of\n            <jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic>\n            K-12 cells that are irradiated in the presence of the TiO\n            <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n            photocatalyst. Using production of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index to assess cell membrane damage by lipid peroxidation, we observed that there was an exponential increase in the production of MDA, whose concentration reached 1.1 to 2.4 nmol \u00b7 mg (dry weight) of cells\n            <jats:sup>\u22121</jats:sup>\n            after 30 min of illumination, and that the kinetics of this process paralleled cell death. Under these conditions, concomitant losses of 77 to 93% of the cell respiratory activity were also detected, as measured by both oxygen uptake and reduction of 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride from succinate as the electron donor. The occurrence of lipid peroxidation and the simultaneous losses of both membrane-dependent respiratory activity and cell viability depended strictly on the presence of both light and TiO\n            <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n            . We concluded that TiO\n            <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n            photocatalysis promoted peroxidation of the polyunsaturated phospholipid component of the lipid membrane initially and induced major disorder in the\n            <jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic>\n            cell membrane. Subsequently, essential functions that rely on intact cell membrane architecture, such as respiratory activity, were lost, and cell death was inevitable.\n          </jats:p>",
  "DOI": "10.1128/aem.65.9.4094-4098.1999",
  "type": "journal-article",
  "created": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2019,
        12,
        19
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2019-12-19T19:55:03Z",
    "timestamp": 1576785303000
  },
  "page": "4094-4098",
  "update-policy": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/asmj-crossmark-policy-page",
  "source": "Crossref",
  "is-referenced-by-count": 1213,
  "title": "Bactericidal Activity of Photocatalytic TiO\n            <sub>2</sub>\n            Reaction: toward an Understanding of Its Killing Mechanism",
  "prefix": "10.1128",
  "volume": "65",
  "author": [
    {
      "given": "Pin-Ching",
      "family": "Maness",
      "sequence": "first",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393,1 and"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Sharon",
      "family": "Smolinski",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393,1 and"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Daniel M.",
      "family": "Blake",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393,1 and"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Zheng",
      "family": "Huang",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393,1 and"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Edward J.",
      "family": "Wolfrum",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393,1 and"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "William A.",
      "family": "Jacoby",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 2-->Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 652112"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "member": "235",
  "reference": [
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_2_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0921-8777(94)90011-6"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_3_2",
      "unstructured": "Aust\nS.\nLipid peroxidation\nCRC handbook of methods for oxygen radical research.\nGreenwald\nR. A.\n1987\n203\n207\nCRC Press Inc.\nBoca Raton Fla"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_4_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1080/03602549909351643"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_5_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1006/bbrc.1996.0521"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_6_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0926-3373(97)00101-X"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_7_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1246/bcsj.64.1268"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_8_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0005-2760(95)00162-6"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_9_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1126/science.8079172"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_10_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0076-6879(90)86135-I"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_11_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0076-6879(90)86134-H"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_12_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/jb.170.4.1837-1842.1988"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_13_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1115/1.2871871"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_14_2",
      "unstructured": "Gutteridge\nJ. M. C.\nLipid peroxidation: some problems and concepts\nOxygen radicals and tissue injury. Proceedings of a Brook Lodge Symposium.\nHalliwell\nB.\n1987\n9\n19\nUpjohn Co.\nBethesda Md"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_15_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1021/cr00033a004"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_16_2",
      "unstructured": "Huang\nZ.\nManess\nP. C.\nSmolinski\nS.\nBlake\nD. M.\nJacoby\nW. A.\nWolfrum\nE. J.\nEffects of titanium dioxide photocatalytic reaction on the permeability of E. coli abstr. Q-234\nAbstracts of the 99th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology 1999.\n1999\n578\nAmerican Society for Microbiology\nWashington D.C"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_17_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/aem.59.5.1668-1670.1993"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_18_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1021/es980036f"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_19_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Kappus\nH.\nLipid peroxidation: mechanisms analysis enzymology and biological relevance\nOxidative stress.\nSies\nH.\n1985\n273\n310\nAcademic Press Inc.\nNew York N.Y",
      "DOI": "10.1016/B978-0-12-642760-8.50016-8"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_20_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1021/cr00018a003"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_21_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1111/j.1574-6968.1985.tb00864.x"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_22_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/aem.54.6.1330-1333.1988"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_23_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S1010-6030(97)00118-4"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_24_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/aem.59.9.2784-2789.1993"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_25_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1042/bj3220317"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_26_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/1011-1344(92)85115-B"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_27_2",
      "first-page": "135",
      "article-title": "Photocatalytic effect of TiO2 particles on tumor cells\u2014study on mechanism of cell death by measuring concentration of intracellular calcium ion.",
      "volume": "12",
      "author": "Sakai H.",
      "year": "1990",
      "unstructured": "Sakai H. Cai R. Hashimoto K. Kato T. Hashimoto K. Fujishima A. Kubota Y. Ito E. Yoshioka T. Photocatalytic effect of TiO2 particles on tumor cells\u2014study on mechanism of cell death by measuring concentration of intracellular calcium ion. Photomed. Photobiol. 12 1990 135 138",
      "journal-title": "Photomed. Photobiol."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_28_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0304-4165(94)90049-3"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_29_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0167-7012(97)00036-5"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_30_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0141-0229(79)90049-8"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_31_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1163/156856797X00547"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_32_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1021/es970860o"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_33_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-9861(82)90001-7"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_34_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0021-9258(18)34336-9"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_35_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1021/es00054a027"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_36_2",
      "first-page": "299",
      "article-title": "Gram-negative bacteria",
      "volume": "1",
      "author": "Wilkinson S. G.",
      "year": "1988",
      "unstructured": "Wilkinson S. G. Gram-negative bacteria Microbial lipids Ratledge C. Wilkinson S. G. 1 1988 299 317 Academic Press San Diego, Calif",
      "journal-title": "Microbial lipids"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_37_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/aem.36.6.926-935.1978"
    }
  ],
  "container-title": "Applied and Environmental Microbiology",
  "original-title": [],
  "language": "en",
  "link": [
    {
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/AEM.65.9.4094-4098.1999",
      "content-type": "application/pdf",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "text-mining"
    },
    {
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/AEM.65.9.4094-4098.1999",
      "content-type": "unspecified",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "similarity-checking"
    }
  ],
  "deposited": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2022,
        2,
        23
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2022-02-23T09:01:30Z",
    "timestamp": 1645606890000
  },
  "score": 1,
  "resource": {
    "primary": {
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/AEM.65.9.4094-4098.1999"
    }
  },
  "subtitle": [],
  "short-title": [],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1999,
        9
      ]
    ]
  },
  "references-count": 36,
  "journal-issue": {
    "issue": "9",
    "published-print": {
      "date-parts": [
        [
          1999,
          9
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "alternative-id": [
    "10.1128/AEM.65.9.4094-4098.1999"
  ],
  "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.65.9.4094-4098.1999",
  "relation": {},
  "ISSN": [
    "0099-2240",
    "1098-5336"
  ],
  "subject": [],
  "container-title-short": "Appl Environ Microbiol",
  "published": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1999,
        9
      ]
    ]
  },
  "assertion": [
    {
      "value": "1999-02-05",
      "order": 0,
      "name": "received",
      "label": "Received",
      "group": {
        "name": "publication_history",
        "label": "Publication History"
      }
    },
    {
      "value": "1999-06-29",
      "order": 1,
      "name": "accepted",
      "label": "Accepted",
      "group": {
        "name": "publication_history",
        "label": "Publication History"
      }
    },
    {
      "value": "1999-09-01",
      "order": 2,
      "name": "published",
      "label": "Published",
      "group": {
        "name": "publication_history",
        "label": "Publication History"
      }
    }
  ]
}