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Experimental evidence of the anti-bacterial activity pathway of copper ion treatment on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

  • Veterinary Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

Copper causes significant damage to the integrity of many bacteria, mainly at the DNA level, through its redox states, as well as its reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating capacity at the cellular level. But whether these mechanisms also apply to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is unknown. In the present study, we have evaluated whether copper ions produce damage at the DNA level of MAP, either through their redox states or through ROS production. MAP-spiked PBS was first supplemented with different copper chelators (2) and ROS antioxidants (3), followed by treatment with copper ions at 942 ppm. MAP DNA integrity (qPCR, magnetic phage separation) was then evaluated. We found that bathocuproine (BCS), as a chelator, and D-mannitol, as an antioxidant of hydroxyl radicals, had a significant protective effect (P < 0.05) on DNA molecules, and that EDTA, as a chelator, and D-mannitol, as an antioxidant had a significant positive effect (P < 0.05) on the viability of this pathogen in contrast to the control and other chelators and anti-oxidants used. In light of the reported findings, it may be concluded that copper ions within MAP cells are directly related to MAP DNA damage.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by FONDECYT Grant (1201574). Carlos Tejeda was the recipient of a Doctoral Studentship from the Chilean government (CONICYT) during the present study and it was part of a Doctoral Thesis of the Universidad Austral de Chile.

Funding

This research was financed by FONDECYT Grant No. 1201574.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

    Carlos Tejeda, Marcela Villegas, Pamela Steuer, Fernando Ulloa & Miguel Salgado

  2. Escuela de Graduados, Valdivia, Chile

    Carlos Tejeda & Fernando Ulloa

  3. Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

    Esperanza C. Iranzo

  4. Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Probióticos, Instituto de Nutrición Y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Angelica Reyes-Jara

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  1. Carlos Tejeda
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  4. Fernando Ulloa
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  7. Miguel Salgado
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Correspondence to Miguel Salgado.

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Tejeda, C., Villegas, M., Steuer, P. et al. Experimental evidence of the anti-bacterial activity pathway of copper ion treatment on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Braz J Microbiol 54, 407–413 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-022-00897-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-022-00897-w

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