Restoration of colony-forming activity in osmotically stressed Escherichia coli by betaine.
Exposure of Escherichia coli to 0.8 M NaCl caused a rapid and large decrease in colony-forming activity. When such osmotically upshocked cells were exposed to betaine, colony-forming activity was restored. Betaine was able to restore colony-forming activity even when chloramphenicol inhibited protein synthesis. Thus, restoration was not the result of cell turnover. The cells were not killed by exposure to 0.8 M NaCl, because during exposure they accumulated ATP intracellularly. Betaine treatment caused this cellular ATP to decrease to a lower level. This work may provide the foundation for a simple plating procedure to quantitatively detect nonculturable E. coli in ocean beach recreational waters.
Roth
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Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
Leckie
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Dietzler
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D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001622:Betaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009997:Osmotic Pressure
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001622:Betaine; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate