Proteomic analysis of an Enterococcus faecalis mutant generated against the exposure to silver nanoparticles

Introduction Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely studied as an alternative to antibiotic use due to their antimicrobial properties at lower concentrations. Enterococcus faecalis is a facultative Gram-positive microorganism inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. It can also be present in other environments such as the oral cavity, water, sewage, soil and food. Aims We evaluated whether E. faecalis could develop resistance to silver NPs (AgNPs) after exposure to sublethal concentrations of the NPs. Methods and Results Proteomic analyses revealed that different pathways were activated during the acquired resistance under sublethal concentrations, and selected genes were validated by qPCR. Conclusions The results of this study showed that E. faecalis is capable of generating resistance to AgNPs. Significance and Impact of the Study To avoid the generation of resistance against AgNPs, future use of these NPs should be combined with other NPs prepared with different metals to prevent the dissemination of resistant strains.