Affiliation:
1. Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742.
Abstract
Maintenance of plasmids pBR322 and pUC8 in Escherichia coli that was nonculturable after exposure to seawater was studied. E. coli JM83 and JM101, which contained plasmids pBR322 and pUC8, respectively, were placed in sterile artificial seawater for 21 days. Culturability was determined by plating on both nonselective and selective agar, and plasmid maintenance was monitored by direct isolation of plasmid nucleic acid from bacteria collected on Sterivex filters. E. coli JM83 became nonculturable after incubation for 6 days in seawater yet maintained plasmid pBR322 for the entire period of the study, i.e., 21 days. E. coli JM101 was nonculturable after incubation in seawater for 21 days and also maintained plasmid pUC8 throughout the duration of the microcosm experiment. Direct counts of bacterial cells did not change significantly during exposure to seawater, even though plate counts yielded no viable (i.e., platable) cells. We concluded that E. coli cells are capable of maintaining high-copy-number plasmids, even when no longer culturable, after exposure to the estuarine or marine environment.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Ecology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,Food Science,Biotechnology
Reference23 articles.
1. American Public Health Association. 1981. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater 15th ed. American Public Health Association Washington D.C.
2. Plasmid expression and maintenance during longterm starvation-survival of bacteria in well water;Caldwell B. A.;Appl. Environ. Microbiol.,1989
3. Investigation of the effect of growth environment on the stability of low-copy-number plasmids in Escherichia coli;Caulcott C. A.;J. Gen. Microbiol.,1987
4. Stability of pBR322- derived plasmids;Chiang C.;Plasmid,1988
5. Viable but non-culturable Vibrio cholerae and related pathogens in the environment: implications for release of genetically engineered microorganisms;Colwell R. R.;Bio/Technology,1985
Cited by
71 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献