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PubMed2006

A reverse transcriptase PCR technique for the detection and viability assessment of Kluyveromyces marxianus in yoghurt.

A fast and sensitive reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) method was developed for the detection of viable Kluyveromyces marxianus in yoghurt. Yeast-specific primers were used with the RT-PCR to evaluate the suitability of 18S rRNA as a target for the detection of viable yeasts in pure culture and yoghurt. The RT-PCR assay was able to detect down to 10(2) CFU ml(-1) in yoghurt samples contaminated with viable yeast cells. Application of the RT-PCR method to commercial yoghurt samples demonstrated the utility of this technique for detection of low concentrations of viable yeast cells in naturally contaminated dairy products. The 18S rRNA molecule is an appropriate target for cell viability assessment because of its limited persistence after cell death and the resultant high level of sensitivity of the assay.

Colony Count, Microbial↗

PubMed1981

Mutagenicity and toxicity studies with high pressure nitrous oxide.

The mutagenic and toxic potential of nitrous oxide were assessed in vitro by microbial assay using two histidine dependent strains of Salmonella typhimurium, TA98 and TA100. Bacteria on plates and in liquid suspension in the presence or absence of enzymes prepared from rat liver, were exposed in a pressure chamber to partial pressures of nitrous oxide ranging from 0.5 to 6 atmospheres. Nitrous oxide decreased viability of both strains of bacteria at 4 and 6 atmospheres but was not mutagenic at any pressure tested.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Acinar primary cell culture from the digestive gland of Pecten maximus (L.): an original model for ecotoxicological purposes.

The purpose of this study was to establish an original primary acinar cell culture model for the mollusc bivalve Pecten maximus (L.), and to define its values and limits for subsequent ecotoxicological applications. To prevent microbial contaminations occurring frequently in invertebrate cell cultures, a perfusion of the stomach-digestive gland complex was performed in situ using a sterile salt solution containing broad-range antibiotics. Digestive acini were isolated using a pronase enzyme that was removed by several washings of the acinar suspension, after which their viability and functionality were determined by three different assays: fluorescein diacetate (FDA) de-esterification, 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) reduction and neutral red (NR) incorporation describing de-esterification, mitochondrial dehydrogenase and lysosome activity, respectively. The kinetic conditions for these assays were defined beforehand. The results showed that digestive acini could be maintained in vitro both cytologically and functionally for at least 96 h, which is sufficient for many ecotoxicological applications. Preliminary contamination assays, according to the function studied (cell esterases, mitochondrial respiration, lysosomal incorporation), indicated that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons had a negative effect on the survival of acini in vitro.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Orthogonal replication with optogenetic selection evolves yeast JEN1 into a mevalonate transporter.

The in vivo continuous evolution system OrthoRep (orthogonal replication) is a powerful strategy for rapid enzyme evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that diversifies genes at a rate exceeding the endogenous genome mutagenesis rate by several orders of magnitude. However, it is difficult to neofunctionalize genes using OrthoRep partly because of the way selection pressures are applied. Here we combine OrthoRep with optogenetics in a selection strategy we call OptoRep, which allows fine-tuning of selection pressure with light. With this capability, we evolved a truncated form of the endogenous monocarboxylate transporter JEN1 (JEN1t) into a de novo mevalonate importer. We demonstrate the functionality of the evolved JEN1t (JEN1tY180C/G) in the production of farnesene, a renewable aviation biofuel, from mevalonate fed to fermentation media or produced by microbial consortia. This study shows that the light-induced complementation of OptoRep may improve the ability to evolve functions not currently accessible for selection, while its fine tunability of selection pressure may allow the continuous evolution of genes whose desired function has a restrictive range between providing effective selection and cellular viability.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae↗

PubMed2006

Survival and germinability of Bacillus subtilis spores exposed to simulated Mars solar radiation: implications for life detection and planetary protection.

Bacterial spores have been considered as microbial life that could survive interplanetary transport by natural impact processes or human spaceflight activity. Deposition of terrestrial microbes or their biosignature molecules onto the surface of Mars could negatively impact life detection experiments and planetary protection measures. Simulated Mars solar radiation, particularly the ultraviolet component, has been shown to reduce spore viability, but its effect on spore germination and resulting production of biosignature molecules has not been explored. We examined the survival and germinability of Bacillus subtilis spores exposed to simulated martian conditions that include solar radiation. Spores of B. subtilis that contain luciferase resulting from expression of an sspB-luxAB gene fusion were deposited on aluminum coupons to simulate deposition on spacecraft surfaces and exposed to simulated Mars atmosphere and solar radiation. The equivalent of 42 min of simulated Mars solar radiation exposure reduced spore viability by nearly 3 logs, while germination-induced bioluminescence, a measure of germination metabolism, was reduced by less than 1 log. The data indicate that spores can retain the potential to initiate germination-associated metabolic processes and produce biological signature molecules after being rendered nonviable by exposure to Mars solar radiation.

Aluminum↗

PubMed1975

[Resistance of tuberculosis mycobacteria in raw-dried and raw-fumigated sausages].

Studied was the resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobact. bovinum, and Mycobact. avium in the nonperishable raw-dried and raw-fumigated saussages Koprivshtenska and Troyanska loukanka and Gornooryahovskanadenitsa, produced according to the requirements of the Bulgarian State Standards and the technologic instructions. It was found that the viability and pathogenicity of the tuberculosis mycobacteria in the raw-dried loukankas persist up to the 180th day from contamination, and in the raw-fumigated loukankas they were established up to the 150th day. The survival of bacteria in these saussages during long storage depended on the count of the microbial cells in the meat mass. At 120,000 cells per one gram of meat mass, some bacteria were found up to the 180th day, while at 1200 cells these persisted up to the 150th day.

Bulgaria↗

PubMed1995

Enumeration of viable Candida albicans blastospores using tetrabromofluorescein (eosin Y) and flow cytometry.

A rapid assay was developed for determination of the viability of blastospores of Candida albicans utilizing flow cytometry to detect the accumulation of tetrabromofluorescein in non-viable yeast cells. Eosin Y was shown to stain non-viable C. albicans blastospores selectively without affecting the cellular viability of competent yeast cells or resulting in non-specific staining of viable cells. Results of these studies show that this flow cytometric method of determining cell viability of C. albicans is more accurate and more precise than the more common method of enumerating colony forming units.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Effect of an antibacterial varnish on lactic acid production in plaque adjacent to fixed orthodontic appliances.

The effect of an antibacterial varnish on lactic acid concentration in suspensions of early supragingival plaque collected adjacent to fixed orthodontic brackets was evaluated in 25 adolescents using a double-blind split-mouth design with a placebo varnish control. The test varnish contained 1% chlorhexidine and 1% thymol as active ingredients. Both varnishes were applied on two occasions within 3 days and plaque was subsequently collected at 3, 7 and 30 days after the first treatment. The samples were evaluated for total viable counts (TVC) and the proportion of mutans streptococci. Acid fermentation in suspensions was induced by glucose and L(+)-lactic acid concentrations were determined enzymatically after a 30-min incubation period. The test varnish did not affect TVC but reduced the proportion of mutans streptococci significantly at the 7-day follow-up (P<0.05). The concentration of lactic acid was reduced by approximately 20% on the 3- and 7-day follow-ups (P<0.05). The results suggest that the chlorhexidine/thymol-containing varnish may to some extent reduce the viability and metabolic activity of susceptible oral bacteria in suspensions of early supragingival plaque.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Multicenter in vitro comparative study of fluoroquinolones after four years of widespread clinical use.

In vitro activities of ciprofloxacin, fleroxacin, lomefloxacin, ofloxacin, and seven other oral antimicrobials including amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (A/C), oxacillin, cefaclor, cefixime, cefuroxime, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (T/S) were evaluated against 1708 fresh bacterial isolates from four hospital laboratories approximately 4 years after the introduction of ciprofloxacin. T/S and ofloxacin had the lowest MIC90s and greatest percentage of susceptible strains overall, followed by the other three quinolones. Quinolones were the most active drugs tested against Gram-negative bacteria, with little variation in the activity among the four compounds against most species. Quinolone resistance was detected to some degree in the majority of Gram-negative species tested, with Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Xanthomonas, and Providencia demonstrating the highest percentage of resistant strains. Ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were relatively more active against Gram-positive bacteria than were fleroxacin and lomefloxacin, but T/S and A/C had more susceptible strains than any of the quinolones. Oxacillin-resistant staphylococci, enterococci, and streptococci exhibited the least quinolone susceptibility. This study showed that while resistance is developing among several previously susceptible bacterial species, quinolones remain important alternatives for the oral treatment of many types of infections. Actions to prevent or limit resistance will be important to maintain the viability of the quinolones as therapeutic agents in both hospital and community environments.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2004

Quantification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae viability using BacLight.

Yeast viability can be accurately quantified using BacLight, a kit which so far has been used only for bacterial analysis. Upon staining, viable cells can be differentiated from non-viable ones by either confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), epifluorescence microscopy, or flow cytometry. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, viabilities quantified by CLSM deviated an average of 1.7% from the actual data, and those determined by flow-cytometry by 1.4%.

Cell Culture Techniques↗

PubMed2004

Chicken juice, a food-based model system suitable to study survival of Campylobacter jejuni.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to develop a food-based model system that resembles the environment that Campylobacter jejuni experiences on raw poultry products and use this model system to investigate growth and survival of the bacterium. METHODS AND RESULTS: Chicken juice was collected from frozen chickens and subsequently cleared by centrifugation and subjected to sterile filtration. At low temperatures (5 and 10 degrees C) C. jejuni NCTC11168 remained viable in chicken juice for a remarkably longer period of time than in the reference medium BHI. When exposed to heat stress (48 degrees C) C. jejuni NCTC11168 also showed increased viability in chicken juice compared with the reference medium. Furthermore, agar plates made with chicken juice supported growth of four clinical isolates of C. jejuni and a C. jejuni strain obtained from chicken at both 37 and 42 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Our work shows that minimal processed and sterilized chicken juice is an ideal environment for survival of C. jejuni and that it is useful as a food-based model system. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The developed model system may contribute to the understanding of C. jejuni viability on poultry products and can be instrumental in the development of alternative preservation strategies.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Effects of a topical essential oil-containing formulation on biofilm-forming coagulase-negative staphylococci.

AIMS: To evaluate the antimicrobial effects of Polytoxinol (PT), a topical essential oil-based formulation, against biofilm positive strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a microtitre plate assay we measured inhibitory effects for PT against a selection of biofilm-forming clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci. Susceptibility varied considerably (MIC = 0.6-20 000 ppm). For the most tolerant clinical isolate (Staphylococcus warneri) biofilm growth was inhibited by a 32-fold lower PT concentration than planktonic growth. This inhibition of biofilm development, which was not observed with the other test isolates, was related to an inhibition of the initial phase of S. warneri cell adherence to the polystyrene surface. CONCLUSION: The antimicrobial efficacy of PT was verified against clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci in vitro. PT was able to inhibit biofilm formation in the most tolerant isolate at sub-inhibitory concentrations. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These observations indicate that an ability to prevent biofilm formation, independently of effects on cell viability may contribute to the in vivo topical efficacy of essential oils.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗

PubMed1995

Effects of mouthrinses with chlorhexidine and zinc ions combined with fluoride on the viability and glycolytic activity of dental plaque.

Inhibition of plaque acidogenicity by a mouthrinse with chlorhexidine (CHX) or zinc ions has been ascribed to a prolonged bacteriostasis due to substantive properties of the agents. The present aim was to study the effects of mouthrinses with CHX and Zn ions combined with fluoride on the viability and glycolytic activity of dental plaque in order to assess the bacteriostatic versus possible bactericidal effects. Following 2 d of plaque accumulation, 4 groups of 10 students rinsed with either 12 mM NaF (F), 0.55 mM CHX diacetate+F (F-CHX), 10 mM Zn acetate+F (F-Zn), or with the three agents in combination (F-CHX-Zn). Plaque samples were collected before and 90 min after mouthrinsing. Thereafter, the in vivo plaque pH response to sucrose was monitored in each student using touch microelectrodes. F-CHX and F-CHX-Zn reduced the in vivo pH fall significantly as compared with F, whereas F-Zn exerted a non-significant inhibition. Pooled pre- and post-rinse plaque samples were used to measure the pH fall during fermentation of [14C]-glucose, and the glycolytic profiles were analyzed by HPLC. Bacterial viability was assessed by counting the colony-forming units (CFU). All mouthrinses except F reduced glucose consumption and acid formation and thus the pH fall. F-CHX reduced the CFU equal to the reduction of glucose consumption, indicating that inhibition of plaque acidogenicity was due to a bactericidal rather than a bacteriostatic effect. F and F-Zn did not reduce the CFU, thus F-Zn decreased glucose metabolism without affecting plaque viability. F-CHX-Zn reduced both the CFU and glucose metabolism of surviving plaque microorganisms.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Co-utilization of polymerized carbon sources by Bacteroides ovatus grown in a two-stage continuous culture system.

Bacteroides ovatus NCTC 11153 was grown in a two-stage continuous culture system at various growth rates (vessel 1, D = 0.06 to 0.19 h-1; vessel 2, D = 0.03 to 0.09 h-1) on media containing mixtures of starch and arabinogalactan as carbon sources. The cell-associated enzyme activities needed to hydrolyze both substrates (amylase, arabinogalactanase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase, and alpha-arabinofuranosidase) were variously influenced by growth rate and polysaccharide availability but were detected under all growth conditions tested. Measurements of residual carbohydrate in spent culture media showed that both polysaccharides were co-utilized during growth under putative C-limited conditions. The arabinogalactan was partly depolymerized in N-limited chemostats, and significant amounts of arabinose- and galactose-containing oligosaccharides accumulated in the cultures, indicating that starch was being preferentially utilized. Acetate, propionate, and succinate were the major fermentation products formed by C-limited bacteria, but under N limitation, lactate was also produced. Molar ratios of succinate increased concomitantly with the dilution rate in C-limited chemostats, whereas molar ratios of propionate decreased. During N-limited growth, however, decarboxylation of succinate to propionate was relatively independent of growth rate. Cell viability was higher in C-limited cultures compared with those grown under N limitation and was greatest at high dilution rates, irrespective of nutrient limitation.

Bacteroides↗

PubMed1997

Bacterial viability and antibiotic susceptibility testing with SYTOX green nucleic acid stain.

A fluorescent nucleic acid stain that does not penetrate living cells was used to assess the integrity of the plasma membranes of bacteria. SYTOX Green nucleic acid stain is an unsymmetrical cyanine dye with three positive charges that is completely excluded from live eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Binding of SYTOX Green stain to nucleic acids resulted in a > 500-fold enhancement in fluorescence emission (absorption and emission maxima at 502 and 523 nm, respectively), rendering bacteria with compromised plasma membranes brightly green fluorescent. SYTOX Green stain is readily excited by the 488-nm line of the argon ion laser. The fluorescence signal from membrane-compromised bacteria labeled with SYTOX Green stain was typically > 10-fold brighter than that from intact organisms. Bacterial suspensions labeled with SYTOX Green stain emitted green fluorescence in proportion to the fraction of permeabilized cells in the population, which was quantified by microscopy, fluorometry, or flow cytometry. Flow cytometric and fluorometric approaches were used to quantify the effect of beta-lactam antibiotics on the cell membrane integrity of Escherichia coli. Detection and discrimination of live and permeabilized cells labeled with SYTOX Green stain by flow cytometry were markedly improved over those by propidium iodide-based tests. These studies showed that bacterial labeling with SYTOX Green stain is an effective alternative to conventional methods for measuring bacterial viability and antibiotic susceptibility.

Ampicillin Resistance↗

PubMed2003

Real-time PCR analysis of Vibrio vulnificus from oysters.

Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen commonly found in estuarine environments. Infections are associated with raw oyster consumption and can produce rapidly fatal septicemia in susceptible individuals. Standard enumeration of this organism in shellfish or seawater is laborious and inaccurate; therefore, more efficient assays are needed. An oligonucleotide probe derived from the cytolysin gene, vvhA, was previously used for colony hybridizations to enumerate V. vulnificus. However, this method requires overnight growth, and vibrios may lack culturability under certain conditions. In the present study, we targeted the same locus for development of a TaqMan real-time PCR assay. Probe specificity was confirmed by amplification of 28 V. vulnificus templates and by the lack of a PCR product with 22 non-V. vulnificus strains. Detection of V. vulnificus in pure cultures was observed over a 6-log-unit linear range of concentration (10(2) to 10(8) CFU ml(-1)), with a lower limit of 72 fg of genomic DNA micro l of PCR mixture(-1) or the equivalent of six cells. Similar sensitivity was observed in DNA extracted from mixtures of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus cells. Real-time PCR enumeration of artificially inoculated oyster homogenates correlated well with colony hybridization counts (r(2) = 0.97). Numbers of indigenous V. vulnificus cells in oysters by real-time PCR showed no significant differences from numbers from plate counts with probe (t test; P = 0.43). Viable but nonculturable cells were also enumerated by real-time PCR and confirmed by the BacLight viability assay. These data indicate that real-time PCR can provide sensitive species-specific detection and enumeration of V. vulnificus in seafood.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Salmonella choleraesuis and Salmonella typhimurium associated with liver cells after intravenous inoculation of rats are localized mainly in Kupffer cells and multiply intracellularly.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were inoculated intravenously with Salmonella choleraesuis or Salmonella typhimurium and used over 3 consecutive days to produce highly enriched (greater than 95% homogenous) preparations of Kupffer and mononuclear cells (KC), liver endothelial cells (LEC), and hepatocytes. The methods involved collagenase perfusion of the liver in situ, differential centrifugation of liver cells over a Percoll gradient, and selective attachment of the cells to plastic or to culture dishes coated with collagen. The different cell preparations were then assayed for the number and location, intracellular or extracellular, of associated viable bacteria. Most of the viable bacteria recovered were associated with KC and were mainly intracellular. The intracellular bacteria in KC from rats infected with either bacterial strain increased about 20- to 50-fold over 2 days. Some of the bacteria associated with LEC and in some experiments with hepatocytes also survived treatment with gentamicin and increased in number with time. Intracellular bacteria were readily visualized in KC by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. On rare occasions, bacteria were seen within LEC from rats infected with S. choleraesuis but not from those infected with S. typhimurium. Microcolonies of S. typhimurium but not of S. choleraesuis were occasionally found on the surface of some LEC. Bacteria were not seen within or on the surface of hepatocytes by transmission or scanning electron microscopy. The integration of microscopic and viability data suggested that most intracellular S. choleraesuis organisms in KC had been killed whereas most intracellular S. typhimurium organisms were viable.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The viability assessment of ethanol-producing yeast by computer-aided fluorescence microscopy].

Vital staining of the ethanol-producing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with ethidium bromide and DAPI allows intact and damaged cells to be differentiated by fluorescence microscopy. A computer image analysis procedure has been developed for the automatic determination of the relative number of damaged cells using ImageJ software (National Institute of Health, United States; http://rsb.info.nih.gov./ij/). A good correlation has been found between the viability rates determined by the plate count method and the relative numbers of intact cells assessed by the developed procedure in the dry-yeast preparations rehydrated under various conditions.

Colony Count, Microbial↗