Catalase activity and the survival of Pseudomonas putida, a root colonizer, upon treatment with peracetic acid.
Peracetic acid is used as a sterilant in several industrial settings. Cells of a plant-colonizing bacterium, Pseudomonas putida in liquid suspension, were more sensitive to killing by peracetic acid when they lacked a major catalase activity, catalase A. Low doses of peracetic acid induced promoter activity of the gene encoding catalase A and increased total catalase specific activity in cell extracts. Microbes present in native agricultural soils rapidly degraded the active oxygen species present in peracetic acid. The simultaneous release of oxygen was consistent with a role for catalase in degrading the hydrogen peroxide that is part of the peracetic acid-equilibrium mixture. Amendment of sterilized soils with wild-type P. putida restored the rate of degradation of peracetic acid to a higher level than was observed in the soils amended with the catalase A-deficient mutant. The association of the bacteria with the plant roots resulted in protection of the wild-type as well as the catalase-deficient mutant from killing by peracetic acid. No differential recovery of the wild-type and catalase A mutant of P. putida was observed from roots after the growth matrix containing the plants was flushed with peracetic acid.
Anderson
A J
AJ
Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan 84322-5305, USA. anderson@biology.usu.edu
Miller
C D
CD
D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D010463:Peracetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004202:Disinfectants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; C087504:SodB protein, Bacteria; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010463:Peracetic Acid; D019342:Acetic Acid