Comparison of the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin and colistin on the morphology of cardiolipin domains in Escherichia coli membranes.

Membrane domains characterized by unique protein and lipid composition allow for compartmentalization and regulation of various biological processes. In Escherichia coli cardiolipin domains play a key role in the dynamic organization of bacterial membranes, and their distribution depends on the stage of the cell cycle. We studied the influence of subinhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin and colistin on the morphology and distribution of E. coli cardiolipin domains. Using the fluorescent dye 10-N-nonyl acridine orange we found that exposure of bacteria to ciprofloxacin significantly increased the percentage of filamentous cells with altered morphology of the cardiolipin domains, while colistin did not induce any significant changes. These results allow us to conclude that inhibition of DNA gyrase causes effects even at the bacterial membrane level and those changes can be easily visualized using 10-N-nonyl acridine orange.