Viable ultramicrocells in drinking water.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the diversity of cultivable 0.2 micron filtrate biofilm forming bacteria from drinking water systems.


RESULTS
Potable chlorinated drinking water hosts phylogenetically diverse ultramicrocells (UMC) (0.2 and 0.1 microm filterable). UMC (starved or dwarf bacteria) were isolated by cultivation on minimal medium from a flow system wall model with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. All cultivated cells (25 different isolates) did not maintain their ultra-size after passages on rich media. Cultured UMC were identified by their 16S ribosomal DNA sequences. The results showed that they were closely related to uncultured and cultured members of the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. The isolates of phylum Actinobacteria included representatives of a diverse set of Actinobacterial families: Micrococcaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Dermabacteraceae, Nocardiaceae and Nocardioidaceae.


CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to show an abundance of cultivable UMC of various phyla in drinking water system, including a high frequency of bacteria known to be involved in opportunistic infections, such as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Microbacterium sp., Pandoraea sp. and Afipia strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Chlorinated tap water filtrate (0.2 and 0.1 microm) still harbours opportunistic micro-organisms that can pose some health threat.
Silbaq
F S
FS
Mar Elias Educational Institutions and Mar Elias Campus, Ibillin, Galilee, Israel. fsilbaq@gmail.com
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007557:Israel; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S