Cytotoxic Effects of Particulate Matter on Cell Growth and Metabolism of Green Fluorescent Protein-Expressing Escherichia coli

초록

The toxicity of sulfate (SO 4 −2 ) and ammonium (NH 4 + ), key components of fi ne dust, on living organisms was investigated using recombinant green fl uorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Escherichia coli as a bioindicator. The eff ects of individual and mixed particulate matter (PM) compounds, including CuS4, (NH4)2SO4, and NH4Cl, were evaluated by measuring the optical density and GFP fl uorescence intensity. Escherichia coli growth was inhibited by the individual compounds at specifi c thresholds, with CuSO4 being most toxic at as low as 3.8 mM. Synergistic eff ects were observed with mixed compounds, markedly reducing growth and fl uorescence even at lower concentrations. Notably, a mixture of the three at their sub-lethal individual concentrations completely halted bacterial growth after 2 h of incubation. CuSO4 was a more potent inhibitor than (NH4)2SO4 and NH4Cl. These fi ndings highlighted the importance of analyzing the individual and synergistic eff ects of PM components.

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