Coliform inhibition by bacteriocin-like substances in drinking water distribution systems.
Bacterial isolates from an unchlorinated potable groundwater system and a chlorinated surface water system were screened by an agar overlay method for the ability to produce bacteriocin-like substances (BLS) inhibitory to the growth of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., and Enterobacter aerogenes. The production of coliform-specific BLS by noncoliform bacteria varied with the site and date of isolation as well as the genus of the producer strain. A total of 448 bacterial isolates were screened from the chlorinated system, and 22.1% produced BLS specific for at least one of the three coliforms. In the unchlorinated system, 7.9% (n = 696) possessed this ability. Flavobacterium/Moraxella comprised 57.1% of all bacteria (from both systems) producing BLS. The possibility that BLS interfere with coliform detection in standard bacteriological water quality tests is discussed.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000254:growth & development; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development; D005417:Flavobacterium / Q000378:metabolism; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000254:growth & development; D009016:Moraxella / Q000378:metabolism; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
D001430:Bacteriocins