title: Effect of thermal, oxidative, acidic, osmotic, or nutritional stresses on subsequent culturability of Escherichia coli in seawater.
abstract: Survival of stressed Escherichia coli with or without the rpoS gene was assessed after 2 and 6 days in sterile seawater. Cells were submitted to thermal (48°C), acidic (pH 5.1), oxidative (H2O2 1mM), nutritional (C, N, P starvation), or osmotic (NaCl 0.5M) stresses for periods ranging from 0 to 4 h. We found a stress-mediated cross protection against seawater relative to controls. Viability was higher when cells were acid, oxidatively, nutritionally or osmotically stressed. Survival increased in cells stressed at 37°C as compared with 20°C. With the exception of osmotic stress, we found that this stress-induced cross protection was rpoS dependent.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 303, C.E.R.B.O.M., 1 Avenue Jean Lorrain, 06300, Nice, France.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Flatau
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gauthier