A transcriptomic investigation into the intrinsic and extrinsic effects of cold plasma generated from air and nitrogen on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This research endeavor delved into the bactericidal mechanisms of CAP against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), employing both protein oxidation and transcriptome analysis for a comprehensive understanding. The findings unveiled that CAP treatment, through the generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS), induced direct cell membrane disruption and intracellular protein oxidation. Transcriptome profiling revealed notable disparities in gene expression patterns between CAP-treated samples and untreated controls. Specifically, the A5 treatment (air-CAP exposure for 5 min), N5 treatment (nitrogen-CAP exposure for 5 min), and N9 treatment (nitrogen-CAP exposure for 9 min) identified 1457, 95, and 885 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively. These alterations indicate that CAP treatment disrupts bacterial cellular structure, motility, colonization capabilities, and protein secretion pathways, inhibiting biofilm formation and nutrient acquisition. Intriguingly, the N9 treatment was observed to cause substantial internal damage to bacterial structures, including flagella and ribosomes via RNS. Conversely, the A5 treatment rapidly disrupted the cell's external surface and metabolic activity via ROS, resulting in extensive oxidative damage and rapid efflux of cellular components. These observations suggest that CAP treatment effectively inhibits P. aeruginosa by targeting its internal and external structures.