title: Recovery, growth, and production of heat-stable enterotoxin by Escherichia coli after copper-induced injury.
abstract: Exposure of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains to a sublethal concentration (0.75 mg/liter) of copper for 3 days at 4 degrees C induced sensitivity to deoxycholate (0.1%). When placed in a complex (brain heart infusion) or a defined amino acid salt medium, the copper-injured cells recovered their tolerance to deoxycholate in 3 and 6 h, respectively, and commenced active growth. Growth and heat-stable enterotoxin production of uninjured and copper-injured cells were studied in brain heart infusion medium. A slightly altered growth curve and an initial slow rate of toxin production were observed in injured cells when compared with those corresponding uninjured controls. However, maximum heat-stable enterotoxin levels in injured cultures were comparable to those produced by uninjured cells, suggesting that the enterotoxigenic potential of copper-injured cells was fully retained.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity*; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli); D003840:Deoxycholic Acid; D003300:Copper