Using Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics to identify the growth phase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus casei</Emphasis> Zhang during batch culture at the single-cell level

Background

As microbial cultures are comprised of heterogeneous cells that differ according to their size and intracellular concentrations of DNA, proteins, and other constituents, the detailed identification and discrimination of the growth phases of bacterial populations in batch culture is challenging. Cell analysis is indispensable for quality control and cell enrichment.

Methods

In this paper, we report the results of our investigation on the use of single-cell Raman spectrometry (SCRS) for real-time analysis and prediction of cells in different growth phases during batch culture of Lactobacillus (L.) casei Zhang. A targeted analysis of defined cell growth phases at the level of the single cell, including lag phase, log phase, and stationary phase, was facilitated by SCRS.

Results

Spectral shifts were identified in different states of cell growth that reflect biochemical changes specific to each cell growth phase. Raman peaks associated with DNA and RNA displayed a decrease in intensity over time, whereas protein-specific and lipid-specific Raman vibrations increased at different rates. Furthermore, a supervised classification model (Random Forest) was used to specify the lag phase, log phase, and stationary phase of cells based on SCRS, and a mean sensitivity of 90.7% and mean specificity of 90.8% were achieved. In addition, the correct cell type was predicted at an accuracy of approximately 91.2%.

Conclusions

To conclude, Raman spectroscopy allows label-free, continuous monitoring of cell growth, which may facilitate more accurate estimates of the growth states of lactic acid bacterial populations during fermented batch culture in industry.

     

Persisters: a distinct physiological state of E. coli

Background  

Bacterial populations contain persisters, phenotypic variants that constitute approximately 1% of cells in stationary phase and biofilm cultures. Multidrug tolerance of persisters is largely responsible for the inability of antibiotics to completely eradicate infections. Recent progress in understanding persisters is encouraging, but the main obstacle in understanding their nature was our inability to isolate these elusive cells from a wild-type population since their discovery in 1944.     

Enhancing hypericin production of Hypericum perforatum cell suspension culture by ozone exposure

Accumulation of secondary metabolites is one of the common reactions of plants to ozone exposure in nature. To investigate the effect of ozone on the production of desired compounds of plant cell cultures, we assayed hypericin production of Hypericum perforatum suspension cell cultures treated with different doses of ozone at different culture phases. The results show that hypericin contents of the cells treated with 60 to 180 nL L^?1 ozone are significantly higher than those of the control, showing that ozone exposure may stimulate hypericin synthesis. Hypericin production of the cells treated with ozone at exponential phase is higher than that of lag and stationary phase, which suggests that exponential phase cell cultures are more responsive to ozone exposure than lag and stationary phase cells. The highest hypericin production is obtained by the cells exposed to 90 nL L^?1 ozone at late exponential phase for 3 h, being about fourfold of the control. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011     

Surface electrokinetic properties of two strains of Staphylococcus aureus during their cell growth cycle

Two strains of Staphylococcus aureus were investigated: S. aureus H, a normal wild-type strain, and 52A5, a mutant strain whose cell wall contains no teichoic acid but is made up entirely of mucopeptide. S. aureus H cells in the lag or stationary phase of growth had an electrophoretic mobility of ?1.10 μm/s/V/cm while those in the logarithmic phase had a mobility of ?0.80 μm/s/V/cm in saline at pH 7.2, 0.6 mM NaHCO₃, 25°C (I = 0.145 g-ions/l). S. aureus 52A5 cells in the same solution had a mobility of ?0.87 μm/s/V/cm in lag and stationary growth phases but a mobility of ?1.30 μm/s/V/cm in the logarithmic growth phase. The S. aureus H cell surfaces at lag phase had pKs of 3.2 and 9.5; at logarithmic phase, 4.2 and 9.0; and at stationary phase, 3.0 and 9.5. The 52A5 cell surfaces at lag phase had pKs of 2.3 and 10.3; at logarithmic phase, 1.7 and 8.5; at stationary phase, 2.6 and 10.2.     

Stationary phase expression of the arginine biosynthetic operon argCBH in Escherichia coli

Background  

Arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli is elevated in response to nutrient limitation, stress or arginine restriction. Though control of the pathway in response to arginine limitation is largely modulated by the ArgR repressor, other factors may be involved in increased stationary phase and stress expression.     

Identification of Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as a binding protein for a 68-kDa <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> parasporal protein cytotoxic against leukaemic cells

Background  

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), an ubiquitous gram-positive spore-forming bacterium forms parasporal proteins during the stationary phase of its growth. Recent findings of selective human cancer cell-killing activity in non-insecticidal Bt isolates resulted in a new category of Bt parasporal protein called parasporin. However, little is known about the receptor molecules that bind parasporins and the mechanism of anti-cancer activity. A Malaysian Bt isolate, designated Bt18 produces parasporal protein that exhibit preferential cytotoxic activity for human leukaemic T cells (CEM-SS) but is non-cytotoxic to normal T cells or other cancer cell lines such as human cervical cancer (HeLa), human breast cancer (MCF-7) and colon cancer (HT-29) suggesting properties similar to parasporin. In this study we aim to identify the binding protein for Bt18 in human leukaemic T cells.     

Differential protein expression following low temperature culture of suspension CHO-K1 cells

Background  

To ensure maximal productivity of recombinant proteins (rP) during production culture it is typical to encourage an initial phase of rapid cell proliferation to achieve high biomass followed by a stationary phase where cellular energies are directed towards production of rP. During many such biphasic cultures, the initial phase of rapid cell growth at 37°C is followed by a growth arrest phase induced through reduction of the culture temperature. Low temperature induced growth arrest is associated with many positive phenotypes including increased productivity, sustained viability and an extended production phase, although the mechanisms regulating these phenotypes during mild hypothermia are poorly understood.     

Noisy-threshold control of cell death

Background  

Cellular responses to death-promoting stimuli typically proceed through a differentiated multistage process, involving a lag phase, extensive death, and potential adaptation. Deregulation of this chain of events is at the root of many diseases. Improper adaptation is particularly important because it allows cell sub-populations to survive even in the continuous presence of death conditions, which results, among others, in the eventual failure of many targeted anticancer therapies.     

Genetic evaluation of relationship between mutations in rpoB and resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to rifampin

Background  

Rifampin is a first line antituberculosis drug active against bacilli in logarithmic and stationary phase, which interferes with RNA synthesis by binding to bacterial RNA polymerase. Tubercle bacilli achieve resistance to rifampin by accumulation of mutations in a short-81 bp region of the rpoB gene. Among many mutations identified in the rpoB gene, few were verified by molecular genetic methods as responsible for resistance to rifampin (RMP).     

Inhibitory effects of Chinese traditional herbs and herb-modified clays on the growth of harmful algae,Phaeocystis globosa and Prorocentrum donghaiense

In order to develop an improved method of mitigating harmful algal blooms (HABs), we assessed the inhibitory effects of five Chinese traditional herbs, Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, Galla chinensis, Punica granatum L., Cortex phellodendri chinensis and Radix scutellariae, as well as clay modified with herb extract on the growth of two harmful algae, Phaeocystis globosa and Prorocentrum donghaiense. The results showed that the five Chinese herbs had varying effects on the target microalgae and inhibitory rates ranged from −35% to 100% at concentration of 0.3 g dry wt./L during 96 h treatments. Among the five herbs, G. chinensis exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect, almost 100% on P. globosa and P. donghaiense. The growth of P. globosa and P. donghaiense was completely inhibited by G. chinensis extracts (0.3 g dry wt./L) during all growth phases, and lag phase cultures were more sensitive than exponential phase and stationary phase cultures. The highest inhibitory rate (100% inhibition) on P. globosa was observed at lag phase, followed by exponential phase (73.1% inhibition), and stationary phase (57% inhibition). The highest inhibitory rate of 100% on P. donghaiense was also found at lag phase, 40.3% at exponential phase, and 23.4% at stationary phase. Furthermore, modified clay with G. chinensis extract significantly enhanced the inhibitory impact. Modified clay (0.3 g L⁻¹) produced 95% of growth inhibition for both algae species at 24 h, and maintained the inhibition thereafter. Our study demonstrated that G. chinensis and clays modified with its extract significantly inhibited the growth of harmful species, therefore may provide ideas and another option for control of harmful algal blooms.     

Indole is an inter-species biofilm signal mediated by SdiA

Background  

As a stationary phase signal, indole is secreted in large quantities into rich medium by Escherichia coli and has been shown to control several genes (e.g., astD, tnaB, gabT), multi-drug exporters, and the pathogenicity island of E. coli; however, its impact on biofilm formation has not been well-studied.     

Reactivation of stationary Tetrahymena : A contribution to the question of G0 state

Stationary cells of Tetrahymena were reactivated to exponential growth phase by transfer to fresh medium. The sequence of resuming cell cycle events was analysed by scoring the division index, the labelling index for macro- and micronuclei and the increase in cell number. By long-term labelling it was found that all cells replicate in stationary phase cultures. They also divide eventually. Upon transfer to fresh medium a small fraction of cells (about 3%) divide immediately, whereas the rest divide 3 h later after having replicated their macronuclear DNA. The kinetics of entry into the S phase indicates that these cells have a lag period of about 2 h before they resume progress through the cell cycle. It takes more than 1 h until all cells have begun replication. These data show that in stationary cultures all cells proceed through the events of the cell cycle. The cell cycle phases are extended differentially, G1 taking the largest part. During G2 cells pass very slowly through a certain stage close to division. Under the present conditions there is no indication for cells being in a resting state that is not part of the cell cycle, from which they can be restimulated and which has been called the G0 state. The criteria to demonstrate a resting state of this nature are discussed.     

Antibiotic susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from very low birth weight babies: comprehensive comparisons of bacteria at different stages of biofilm formation

Background

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are major causes of bloodstream infections in very low birth weight babies cared for in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. The virulence of these bacteria is mainly due to their ability to form biofilms on indwelling medical devices. Biofilm-related infections often fail to respond to antibiotic chemotherapy guided by conventional antibiotic susceptibility tests.

Methods

Coagulase-negative staphylococcal blood culture isolates were grown in different phases relevant to biofilm formation: planktonic cells at mid-log phase, planktonic cells at stationary phase, adherent monolayers and mature biofilms and their susceptibilities to conventional antibiotics were assessed. The effects of oxacillin, gentamicin, and vancomycin on preformed biofilms, at the highest achievable serum concentrations were examined. Epifluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy in combination with bacterial viability staining and polysaccharide staining were used to confirm the stimulatory effects of antibiotics on biofilms.

Results

Most coagulase-negative staphylococcal clinical isolates were resistant to penicillin G (100%), gentamicin (83.3%) and oxacillin (91.7%) and susceptible to vancomycin (100%), ciprofloxacin (100%), and rifampicin (79.2%). Bacteria grown as adherent monolayers showed similar susceptibilities to their planktonic counterparts at mid-log phase. Isolates in a biofilm growth mode were more resistant to antibiotics than both planktonic cultures at mid-log phase and adherent monolayers; however they were equally resistant or less resistant than planktonic cells at stationary phase. Moreover, for some cell-wall active antibiotics, concentrations higher than conventional MICs were required to prevent the establishment of planktonic cultures from biofilms. Finally, the biofilm-growth of two S. capitis isolates could be enhanced by oxacillin at the highest achievable serum concentration.

Conclusion

We conclude that the resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci to multiple antibiotics initially remain similar when the bacteria shift from a planktonic growth mode into an early attached mode, then increase significantly as the adherent mode further develops. Furthermore, preformed biofilms of some CoNS are enhanced by oxacillin in a dose-dependent manner.     

Regulation of RNA synthesis in plant cell culture: delayed synthesis of ribosomal RNA during transition from the stationary phase to active growth

Ribosomal RNA synthesis was studied during the early phases of growth activation in a cell suspension culture derived from peanut (Arachis hypogaea, L.) cotyledon. Upon dilution from stationary phase, these cells show a characteristic lag of 3 days before the commencement of cell division. An analysis of the nature of RNA synthesized during this early period of growth showed that the cells obtained immediately upon dilution from stationary phase synthesize primarily messenger RNA and essentially no ribosomal RNA. The synthesis of ribosomal RNA is delayed for about 24 hr after which it rises sharply resulting in a 2- to 3-fold accumulation of ribosomal RNA per cell during the subsequent 24-hr period. Both the messenger RNA and the ribosomal RNA were characterized by their cellular localization; by sucrose and CsCl gradient analyses, and by the determination of their base ratios.It would appear that a major facet of the lag phase in the cell growth is the diversion of a significant part of the RNA biosynthetic apparatus from the synthesis of messenger RNA to that of ribosomal RNA.     

The regulation of DNA replication during senescence and rejuvenation of Dunaliella tertiolecta by factors other than available metabolic energy

The unicellular green alga, Dunaliella tertiolecta undergoes a 4-fold reduction in DNA while progressing from early to late log phase of culture. During the period when the reduction in DNA occurs, the cells continue to divide at the maximal rate. Pulse labelling indicates little incorporation of [³H]thymidine into DNA during late log phase. Stationary phase cultures diluted with fresh medium undergo a lag period during which there is a 4-fold increase in DNA and a rapid incorporation of [³H]thymidine into DNA into DNA before division. The evidence indicates that the differences in the levels of DNA are not attributable to tetraploidy, multinucleated cells or a high level of redundancy of G-C-rich satellite DNA in early log phase cells. During stationary phase there is an increase in cellular starch and a decrease in free nucleotides. Electron microscopy reveals that stationary phase cells are distorted by many granules proven to be starch by their susceptibility to amylase treatment. The production of starch by stationary phase cells indicates that DNA replication does not cease because of a deficit of metabolic energy but because of some direct function of culture density.     

Effects of silicate resupply to silicate‐deprived Thalassiosira weissflogii (Bacillariophyceae) in stationary or senescent phase: short‐term patterns of growth and cell death

The ability of nutrient‐deprived phytoplankton to recover in the short term when nutrients are resupplied has been studied for nitrogen and phosphorus, but the case for silicate (Si) is poorly understood. Si‐limited Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) Fryxell et Hasle (grown in batch culture) was harvested in stationary phase (when cell numbers stopped increasing ~2 d after Si depletion) and senescence (when cell numbers declined ~4 d after Si depletion) and Si was resupplied at different concentrations (from 0 to 100 μM). Cell numbers, proportion of dead cells, variable fluorescence emissions (F_v/F_m), and activities of proteases were measured during Si depletion and for 24 h after Si resupply. As Si was depleted, the specific growth rate declined, dead cells increased from ~2% in log phase, to ~25% in stationary phase to over 35% in senescence, and activities of proteases associated with cell death increased several‐fold. Concentration‐dependent recovery of growth rate was seen after 24 h for cultures resupplied with Si in stationary phase but not in senescence. However, resupply of Si at 100 μM to stationary phase cultures alone increased protease activity to nearly the levels seen in senescence. Differences in the responses to Si resupply suggest that the ability and time to recover from Si depletion depend not only on the growth phase but also on the concentration resupplied.     

Enhancement of production and activity of alkaline zinc metalloprotease from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salinivibrio proteolyticus</Emphasis> using low intensity direct electric current and zinc nanoparticles

Objectives

To improve the production and activity of an alkaline zinc metalloprotease from Salinivibrio proteolyticus in response to ZnSO₄ (ionic and nanoparticle forms) and low intensity direct electric current (LIDC).

Results

A DC of 50 µA for 10 min increased enzyme production from 35 to 53 U ml^?1 when applied to the stationary phase bacterial cells. Zn²⁺ improved enzyme production better than zinc nanoparticles (52 vs. 43.5 U ml^?1). Zinc nanoparticles (0.5 mM) added to an enzyme reaction mixture containing casein (0.65 %) and 20 mM Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8) improved enzyme activity more than Zn²⁺ (42 vs. 36 U ml^?1).

Conclusion

LIDC exposure (50 µA, 10 min) to the stationary phase bacterial cells increases metalloprotease production in Salinivibrio. A low concentration of zinc nanoparticles (0.5 mM) increases maximum enzyme activity.