Citation: Dong Wu, Wenfu Zheng, Ting Lin, Youhuan Gong, Yu Zhou, Xinglong Yang, Le Wang. Analysis of antimicrobial gold nanoparticle-treated bacterial metabolites using nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(10): 112470. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112470 shu

Analysis of antimicrobial gold nanoparticle-treated bacterial metabolites using nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Dong Wu ^{a, 1} ,
Wenfu Zheng ^{b, c, 1} ,
Ting Lin ^a ,
Youhuan Gong ^a ,
Yu Zhou ^a ,
Xinglong Yang ^d ,
Le Wang ^{a, *,}

a.
Academician Workstation, Cancer Research Center, The Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
b.
CAS Key Lab for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
c.
School of Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
d.
Ji Hua Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China

wangle@jxutcm.edu.cn

Received Date: 23 July 2025
Revised Date: 20 November 2025
Accepted Date: 27 January 2026
Available Online: 28 January 2026

Figures(5)

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have garnered significant attention in the biomedical field due to their exceptional antimicrobial properties. However, the precise antimicrobial mechanism of GNPs remains unclear, which greatly hinders their extensive applications. Herein, we established a bacterial metabolomic analysis platform for in-depth exploration of GNP-bacteria interactions using nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nESI-MS), which enables a direct and precise analysis of bacterial metabolites without the use of extractant. Employing nESI-MS, we analyzed the metabolites of Klebsiella pneumonia (K. p) treated by GNPs. More than 60 metabolites involving 6 major metabolic pathways, including energy metabolism, redox homeostasis, oxidative defense, membrane integrity, osmoregulation, and quorum sensing were identified. Moreover, apart from primary metabolites, we found a critical role of secondary metabolites in GNPs-bacteria interactions. Our approach provides a foundation for exploring nanomaterial-bacteria interactions and advancing knowledge of antibacterial mechanism, guiding the development of next-generation antibacterial agents.
- Nano ESI-MS,
- Antibacterial mechanism,
- Metabolic pathway,
- Gold nanoparticles,
- Bacteria
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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142