Fullertubes inhibit mycobacterial viability and prevent biofilm formation by disrupting the cell wall

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium abscessus cause diseases that are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to emerging antibiotic resistance. The development of new antimicrobial molecules is vital for combating these pathogens. Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are a class of carbon-containing nanoparticles with promising antimicrobial effects. Fullertubes (C90) are novel carbon allotropes with a structure unique among CNMs. The effects of fullertubes on any living cell have not been studied. In this study, we demonstrate that pristine fullertube dispersions show antimicrobial effects on Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. abscessus. Using scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and molecular probes, we investigated the effects of these CNMs on mycobacterial cell viability, cellular integrity, and biofilm formation. C90 fullertubes at 1 mu M inhibited mycobacterial viability by 97%. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the cell wall structure of M. smegmatis and M. abscessus was severely damaged within 24 h of exposure to fullertubes. Additionally, exposure to fullertubes nearly abrogated the acid-fast staining property of M. smegmatis. Using SYTO-9 and propidium iodide, we show that exposure to the novel fullertubes compromises the integrity of the mycobacterial cell. We also show that the permeability of the mycobacterial cell wall was increased after exposure to fullertubes from our assays utilizing the molecular probe dichlorofluorescein and ethidium bromide transport. C90 fullertubes at 0.37 mu M and C60 fullerenes at 0.56 mu M inhibited pellicle biofilm formation by 70% and 90%, respectively. This is the first report on the antimycobacterial activities of fullertubes and fullerenes. The recently isolated fullertubes (C90) are carbon nanoparticles with tubular molecular structures and hemispherical end caps and their effects on any living cell have not been investigated. We show that the novel fullertubes inhibit mycobacterial cell growth and cause physical damage to the cell envelope in Mycobacterium smegmatis and in Mycobacterium abscessus, an infectious organism of clinical importance. We also show that fullertubes and fullerenes inhibit biofilm formation which is a key phenotype of mycobacterial pathogenesis.