title: Detection of viable but nonculturable Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria in drinking water and river water.
abstract: A sensitive method for specific detection of viable Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells, including viable but nonculturable (VBNC) cells, in water samples was developed. This method involved capture of the bacterial cells on a low-protein-binding membrane and direct extraction and purification of RNA followed by reverse transcription-PCR and electronic microarray detection of the rfbE and fliC genes of E. coli O157:H7. It detected as few as 1 CFU of E. coli O157:H7 in diluted cultures, 3 to 4 CFU/liter in tap water, 7 CFU/liter in river water, and 50 VBNC cells in 1 liter of river water, demonstrating the best limit of detection reported to date for VBNC cells in environmental water samples.
authors.affiliation: Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada.
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ainslie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilchrist
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002238:Carbohydrate Epimerases / Q000235:genetics; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005408:Flagellin; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology*; D000637:Transaminases / Q000235:genetics; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C516095:FliC protein, E coli; D005408:Flagellin; D000637:Transaminases; D002238:Carbohydrate Epimerases; C061272:perosamine synthetase