title: Vibrio cholerae persisted in microcosm for 700 days inhibits motility but promotes biofilm formation in nutrient-poor lake water microcosms.
abstract: Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, ubiquitous in aquatic environments, is responsible for cholera; humans can become infected after consuming food and/or water contaminated with the bacterium. The underlying basis of persistence of V. cholerae in the aquatic environment remains poorly understood despite decades of research. We recently described a "persister" phenotype of V. cholerae that survived in nutrient-poor "filter sterilized" lake water (FSLW) in excess of 700-days. Previous reports suggest that microorganisms can assume a growth advantage in stationary phase (GASP) phenotype in response to long-term survival during stationary phase of growth. Here we report a V. cholerae GASP phenotype (GASP-700D) that appeared to result from 700 day-old persister cells stored in glycerol broth at -80°C. The GASP-700D, compared to its wild-type N16961, was defective in motility, produced increased biofilm that was independent of vps (p<0.005) and resistant to oxidative stress when grown specifically in FSLW (p<0.005). We propose that V. cholerae GASP-700D represents cell populations that may better fit and adapt to stressful survival conditions while serving as a critical link in the cycle of cholera transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Global Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jubair
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kalina R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Atanasova
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Global Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mustafizur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Karl E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Klose
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mahmuda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasmin
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: J Glenn
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Global Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Afsar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000502:physiology*; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000502:physiology*; D014871:Water Microbiology