title: The ability of membrane potential dyes and calcafluor white to distinguish between viable and non-viable bacteria.
abstract: Various dyes were assessed for their ability to discriminate between viable and non-viable bacteria. Two methods of killing were employed: by heat treatment or by gramicidin treatment. Staining was carried out in two ways; by staining directly in the medium or by washing cells prior to staining in buffer. Carbocyanine and rhodamine 123 dyes only exhibited small changes in fluorescence between viable and non-viable populations of bacteria. Both oxonol dye (bis 1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid trimethine oxonol) and calcafluor white proved much more useful.
authors.affiliation: School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales College of Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopéz-Amorós
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lloyd
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000378:metabolism; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000378:metabolism; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006096:Gramicidin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006361:Heating; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D020112:Rhodamine 123; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000378:metabolism; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000502:physiology; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001463:Barbiturates; D002232:Carbocyanines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007555:Isoxazoles; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012235:Rhodamines; C087881:calcafluor white; C052795:bis(1,3-dibutylbarbiturate)trimethine oxonol; D006096:Gramicidin; D020112:Rhodamine 123