title: Capability of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa to survive in chlorinated water.
abstract: Mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are characterized by an overproduction of the extracellular polysaccharide alginate. When suspended into chlorinated swimming-pool water or drinking water samples, mucoid bacteria revealed enhanced survival compared with isogenic nonmucoid cells. Removal of slime from mucoid bacteria abolished chlorine resistance, addition of purified alginate to washed bacteria again enhanced survival. Thus, alginate-containing slime confers protection on P. aeruginosa against chlorine and may contribute to survival of these bacteria in chlorinated water systems.
authors.affiliation: IWW Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wasserforschung gemeinnützige GmbH, Gerhard-Mercator-Universität Duisburg, Fachgebiet Aquatische Mikrobiologie, Moritzstrasse 26, 45476 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grobe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wingender
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Flemming
mesh_terms: D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D004202:Disinfectants; D004351:Drug Resistance; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013551:Swimming Pools; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D004202:Disinfectants; D011134:Polysaccharides