title: Protection of freeze-dried Escherichia coli by trehalose upon exposure to environmental conditions.
abstract: Freeze-dried cultures of wild-type and genetically engineered strains of Escherichia coli lost their colony-forming ability upon exposure to air, visible light, and certain relative humidity levels. Both strains could be maximally protected from these lethal effects with 100 mM trehalose, a concentration calculated to just saturate the interphospholipid spaces in the cell membrane, thus preserving the liquid-crystalline structure. The trehalose protection was observed for at least 96 h. Trehalose increased viability as much as 2000-4000% over nontreated populations. In all cases, exposure to environmental conditions was more damaging to the genetically engineered strain.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Israeli
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lighthart
mesh_terms: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005612:Freeze Drying / Q000379:methods*; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D014199:Trehalose / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D014199:Trehalose