Metabolic and compositional changes in Escherichia coli cells starved in seawater.
Thirteen Escherichia coli strains of different biotypes isolated from urine and faeces cultures were studied for metabolic and compositional changes during starvation in seawater at different timepoints. Additionally, the antibiotic susceptibility of the starved E. coli cells was evaluated over time on Mueller-Hinton agar (Bauer-Kirby method). All starved E. coli cells lost beta-galactosidase activity gradually with time and acquired the ability to degrade gelatine. Nine of the E. coli strains lost the ability to decarboxylate lysine and seven to acidify melibiose. C4 esterase, C8 esterase lipase, leucine arylamidase and C14 lipase activity increased during starvation, while alkaline and acid phosphatase and phosphoamidase activity decreased. Most of the E. coli strains underwent alterations in their electrophoretic protein pattern. The traditional Bauer & Kirby method was shown to be inadequate for testing antibiotic susceptibility of starved strains.
Microbiology Lab., National System of Health, Hospital Agios Andreas, Patras, Greece.
A
A
Nicolopoulou
K
K
Zoumbou
N
N
Papageorgacopoulou
M
M
Papapetropoulou
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000362:Agar; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005780:Gelatin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008553:Melibiose / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012623:Seawater; D013997:Time Factors; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005780:Gelatin; D000362:Agar; D008553:Melibiose; D004950:Esterases; D008049:Lipase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase; D008239:Lysine