Effect of chlorine on incorporation of Helicobacter pylori into drinking water biofilms.
The use of a specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori persisted inside biofilms exposed to low concentrations of chlorine (0.2 and 1.2 mg liter(-1)) for at least 26 days, although no culturable cells were recovered. Coupled with data obtained using viability stains in pure culture, this result suggests that H. pylori can survive chlorination but remain undetectable by culture methods, which can be effectively replaced by PNA hybridization.
Gião
M S
MS
Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. M.S.Giao@soton.ac.uk
Azevedo
N F
NF
Wilks
S A
SA
Vieira
M J
MJ
Keevil
C W
CW
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002713:Chlorine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000235:genetics; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014871:Water Microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids; D002713:Chlorine