Inactivation of the Radiation-Resistant Spoilage Bacterium Micrococcus radiodurans: I. Radiation Inactivation Rates in Three Meat Substrates and in Buffer1,2,3

A simplified technique permitting the pipetting of raw puréed meats for quantitative bacteriological study is described for use in determining survival of these non-sporing bacteria, which are exceptionally resistant to radiation. Survival curves, using gamma radiation as the sterilizing agent, were determined in raw beef with four strains of Micrococcus radiodurans. Survival curves of the R₁ strain in other meat substrates showed that survival was significantly greater in raw beef and raw chicken than in raw fish or in cooked beef. Resistance was lowest in the buffer. Cells grown in broth (an artificial growth medium) and resuspended in beef did not differ in resistance from cells that had been grown and irradiated in beef. Survival rate was statistically independent of the initial cell concentration, even though there appeared to be a correlation between lower death rate and lower initial cell concentrations. The initial viable count of this culture of the domesticated R₁ strain in beef was reduced by a factor of about 10^-5 by 3.0 megarad, and 4.0 megarad reduced the initial count by a factor of more than 10^-9. Data suggest that M. radiodurans R₁ is more resistant to radiation than spore-forming spoilage bacteria for which inactivation rates have been published.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Apple Juice by Irradiation

Three strains (932, Ent-C9490, and SEA13B88) of Escherichia coli O157:H7 were used to determine the effectiveness of low-dose gamma irradiation for eliminating E. coli O157:H7 from apple juice or cider and to characterize the effect of inducing pH-dependent, stationary-phase acid resistance on radiation resistance. The strains were grown in tryptic soy broth with or without 1% dextrose for 18 h to produce cells that were or were not induced to pH-dependent stationary-phase acid resistance. The bacteria were then transferred to clarified apple juice and irradiated at 2°C with a cesium-137 irradiator. Non-acid-adapted cells had radiation D values (radiation doses needed to decrease a microbial population by 90%) ranging from 0.12 to 0.21 kGy. D values increased to 0.22 to 0.31 kGy for acid-adapted cells. When acid-adapted SEA13B88 cells were tested in five apple juice brands having different levels of suspended solids (absorbances ranging from 0.04 to 2.01 at 550 nm), radiation resistance increased with increasing levels of suspended solids, with D values ranging from 0.26 to 0.35 kGy. Based on these results, a dose of 1.8 kGy should be sufficient to achieve the 5D inactivation of E. coli recommended by the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods.     

Effect of sodium fluoride on radiation sensitivity of barley seeds

Barley seeds soaked in 0.01 M sodium fluoride (NaF) in phosphate buffer (pH7) or in buffer alone for 18 h were dried and equilibrated to 10% moisture, either in air or in nitrogen. Pre-treated and re-dried seeds were irradiated in air or in nitrogen with 0, 13, 20, 26 and 32 kR of γ rays, and were immediately hydrated in oxygen- or nitrogen-bubbled water. Parameters of radiation effect considered were seedling injury, mitotic and meiotic cells with bridge aberrations at anaphase and pollen fertility in M₁, and the frequency of chlorophyll mutations in M₂. NaF at 0.01 M was not mutagenic by itself. Pre-treatment with NaF significantly enhanced the radiation effect, when the irradiation was done in air, in comparison with the buffer soaked seeds. The increased effect due to NaF was additional to the oxygen effect. In nitrogen, NaF pre-treatment increased the mutagenic effect but it was not always significant. Post-soaking of irradiated seeds in 0.01 M NaF for 5 h increased seedling injury in comparison with the irradiated seeds soaked in buffer alone or in 0.01 M NaCl. At least a part of the sensitizing effect of NaF may be due to the inhibition of repair.     

Some Characteristics of the Resistance Transfer Factor (RTF) Episome as Determined by Inactivation with Tritium, P32, and Gamma Radiation

The resistance transfer factor (RTF) episome was studied by measuring its inactivation by Co⁶⁰ gamma radiation, by incorporated P³², and by tritium incorporated as tritium-labeled thymine. The D₃₇ for Co⁶⁰ irradiation was 7 to 9 × 10⁴ rad. Growth of the bacteria harboring the RTF in BUdR (bromouracil deoxyriboside) increased the sensitivity of the RTF to the gamma radiation. The RTF was markedly inactivated by tritium after growth of the host (thymine requiring) bacteria in tritium-labeled thymine, thus further establishing the presence of thymine in the genome of the RTF. Assuming the efficiency of inactivation by P³² to be 10%, the phosphorus content of the RTF was estimated to be about 2 × 10⁵ P atoms/episome. The data suggest the RTF contains double stranded DNA with a molecular weight of the order of 3 to 8 × 10⁷.     

Inactivation of Caliciviruses

The viruses most commonly associated with food- and waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis are the noroviruses. The lack of a culture method for noroviruses warrants the use of cultivable model viruses to gain more insight on their transmission routes and inactivation methods. We studied the inactivation of the reported enteric canine calicivirus no. 48 (CaCV) and the respiratory feline calicivirus F9 (FeCV) and correlated inactivation to reduction in PCR units of FeCV, CaCV, and a norovirus. Inactivation of suspended viruses was temperature and time dependent in the range from 0 to 100°C. UV-B radiation from 0 to 150 mJ/cm² caused dose-dependent inactivation, with a 3 D (D = 1 log₁₀) reduction in infectivity at 34 mJ/cm² for both viruses. Inactivation by 70% ethanol was inefficient, with only 3 D reduction after 30 min. Sodium hypochlorite solutions were only effective at >300 ppm. FeCV showed a higher stability at pH <3 and pH >7 than CaCV. For all treatments, detection of viral RNA underestimated the reduction in viral infectivity. Norovirus was never more sensitive than the animal caliciviruses and profoundly more resistant to low and high pH. Overall, both animal viruses showed similar inactivation profiles when exposed to heat or UV-B radiation or when incubated in ethanol or hypochlorite. The low stability of CaCV at low pH suggests that this is not a typical enteric (calici-) virus. The incomplete inactivation by ethanol and the high hypochlorite concentration needed for sufficient virus inactivation point to a concern for decontamination of fomites and surfaces contaminated with noroviruses and virus-safe water.     

Fast and Effective Photodynamic Inactivation of Multiresistant Bacteria by Cationic Riboflavin Derivatives

Photodynamic inactivation of bacteria (PIB) proves to be an additional method to kill pathogenic bacteria. PIB requires photosensitizer molecules that effectively generate reactive oxygen species like singlet oxygen when exposed to visible light. To allow a broad application in medicine, photosensitizers should be safe when applied in humans. Substances like vitamin B2, which are most likely safe, are known to produce singlet oxygen upon irradiation. In the present study, we added positive charges to flavin derivatives to enable attachment of these molecules to the negatively charged surface of bacteria. Two of the synthesized flavin derivatives showed a high quantum yield of singlet oxygen of approximately 75%. Multidrug resistant bacteria like MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), EHEC (enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii were incubated with these flavin derivatives in vitro and were subsequently irradiated with visible light for seconds only. Singlet oxygen production in bacteria was proved by detecting its luminescence at 1270 nm. After irradiation, the number of viable bacteria decreased up to 6 log₁₀ steps depending on the concentration of the flavin derivatives and the light dosimetry. The bactericidal effect of PIB was independent of the bacterial type and the corresponding antibiotic resistance pattern. In contrast, the photosensitizer concentration and light parameters used for bacteria killing did not affect cell viability of human keratinocytes (therapeutic window). Multiresistant bacteria can be safely and effectively killed by a combination of modified vitamin B2 molecules, oxygen and visible light, whereas normal skin cells survive. Further work will include these new photosensitizers for topical application to decolonize bacteria from skin and mucosa.     

Inactivation of Baculovirus heliothis by ultraviolet irradiation,dew, and temperature

The rate and extent of inactivation of Baculovirus heliothis by artificial ultraviolet (uv) irradiation, temperature, and dew collected from foliage of cotton and sobyean plants were determined. Exposure to uv irradiation resulted in substantial inactivation of the virus. Increase in temperature from 15° to 45°C had little effect on viral activity. A significant loss in viral activity was detected as temperature was increased to 45°C with exposure to uv irradiation. Exposure to pH 9.3 cotton dew resulted in substantial loss in activity during the initial dry-down of dew. Loss of activity appeared to result from exposure to high pH and high basic ion concentration. After the dew had dried; little additional activity loss occurred unless deposited ions were resuspended in water and allowed to redry. Exposure to cotton dews at pH 7.4 or 8.8 or soybean dew (pH 7.2) produced no significant viral inactivation.     

γ Irradiation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

The inactivation of enterotoxin B by γ irradiation was studied by use of single-and double-gel-diffusion assay techniques. Enterotoxin B (99+% purity) was suspended either in 0.04 m Veronal buffer (pH 7.2) or in milk, dispensed and heat-sealed in borosilicate glass vials, and irradiated essentially at 21 to 26 C with a cobalt-60 source. Parallel titrations of irradiated enterotoxin B in Veronal buffer were made by use of gel-diffusion and cat assay procedures to establish the relative sensitivity of these two assay procedures to irradiated enterotoxin. Results were identical. A dose of 5 Mrad was required to reduce an enterotoxin B concentration of 31 μg/ml in Veronal buffer to less than 0.7 μg/ml. When milk was used as a vehicle, a dose of 20 Mrad was needed to inactivate a 30 μg/ml concentration of enterotoxin B to less than 0.5 μg/ml. With Veronal buffer and milk as vehicles, the D values (dose required to inactivate 90%) for enterotoxin B inactivation were 2.7 and 9.7 Mrad, respectively.     

Resistance of Clostridium perfringens Type A Spores to γ-Radiation

The radiation resistance of the spores of a classical strain and of an atypical, heat-resistant strain of Clostridium perfringens was determined. Spores were produced in Ellner's and in a Trypticase broth medium. Approximately 10⁶ viable spores per milliliter were suspended in 0.06 m phosphate buffer and irradiated with γ rays from cobalt-60; the survivors were counted in Tryptone-yeast extract-agar by the Prickett-tube technique. Radiation D values for spores of the atypical strain in phosphate buffer and in cooked-meat broth were 0.23 and 0.30 Mrad, respectively, and the D value of the classical strain was 0.25 Mrad in phosphate buffer. Spores of the classical and atypical strains of C. perfringens type A are characterized by differences in heat resistance; yet, all strains tested demonstrated similar radiation resistance. Also, the spores were more resistant to ionizing radiation in cooked-meat broth than in phosphate buffer.     

Ultraviolet Inactivation and Photoproducts of Transforming DNA Irradiated at Low Temperatures

Solutions of Haemophilus influenzae transforming DNA were irradiated at temperatures ranging from 25°C to - 196°C. Temperature dependence of the formation of thymine-containing dimers was closely correlated with inactivation of transforming activity; in general, both dimerization and inactivation decreased with decreasing temperature. The fraction of nonphotoreactivable damage increased with increasing dose at low temperatures. The nonphotoreactivable spore-type photoproduct was formed at low temperatures with a maximum at - 100°C, a temperature at which the nonphotoreactivable biological inactivation was also a maximum. Intrastrand cross-linking, like dimer formation, decreased with decreasing irradiation temperature.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli by citral

Aims: The aim was to evaluate (i) the resistance of Escherichia coli BJ4 to citral in a buffer system as a function of citral concentration, treatment medium pH, storage time and initial inoculum size, (ii) the role of the sigma factor RpoS on citral resistance of E. coli, (iii) the role of the cell envelope damage in the mechanism of microbial inactivation by citral and (iiii) possible synergistic effects of mild heat treatment and pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatment combined with citral. Methods and Results: The initial inoculum size greatly affected the efficacy of citral against E. coli cells. Exposure to 200 μl l^?1 of citral at pH 4·0 for 24 h at 20°C caused the inactivation of more than 5 log₁₀ cycles of cells starting at an inoculum size of 10⁶ or 10⁷ CFU ml^?1, whereas increasing the cell concentration to 10⁹ CFU ml^?1 caused <1 log₁₀ cycle of inactivation. Escherichia coli showed higher resistance to citral at pH 4·0 than pH 7·0. The rpoS null mutant strain E. coli BJ4L1 was less resistant to citral than the wild‐type strain. Occurrence of sublethal injury to both the cytoplasmic and outer membranes was demonstrated by adding sodium chloride or bile salts to the recovery media. The majority of sublethally injured cells by citral required energy and lipid synthesis for repair. A strongly synergistic lethal effect was shown by mild heat treatment combined with citral but the presence of citral during the application of a PEF treatment did not show any advantage. Conclusions: This work confirms that cell envelope damage is an important event in citral inactivation of bacteria, and it describes the key factors on the inactivation of E. coli cells by citral. Significance and Impact of the Study: Knowledge about the mechanism of microbial inactivation by citral helps establish successful combined preservation treatments.     

Net Photosynthesis, Electron Transport Capacity, and Ultrastructure of Pisum sativum L. Exposed to Ultraviolet-B Radiation

Pisum sativum L. was exposed to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (280-315 nm) in greenhouse and controlled environment chambers to examine the effect of this radiation on photosynthetic processes. Net photosynthetic rates of intact leaves were reduced by UV-B irradiation. Stable leaf diffusion resistances indicated that the impairment of photosynthesis did not involve the simple limitation of CO₂ diffusion into the leaf. Dark respiration rates were increased by previous exposure to this radiation. Electron transport capacity as indicated by methylviologen reduction was also sensitive to UV-B irradiation. The ability of ascorbate-reduced 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol to restore much of the electron transport capacity of the UV-B-irradiated plant material suggested that inhibition by this radiation was more closely associated with photosystem II than with photosystem I. Electron micrographs indicated structural damage to chloroplasts as well as other organelles. Plant tissue irradiated for only 15 minutes exhibited dilation of thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast in some cells. Some reduction in Hill reaction activity was also evidenced in these plant materials which had been irradiated for periods as short as 15 minutes.     

Selection of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus for resistance to inactivation by near ultraviolet,far ultraviolet,and thermal radiation

Experiments were performed to isolate strains of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (Baculovirus) with inherent resistance to inactivation by far ultraviolet radiation, near ultraviolet radiation, and thermal radiation. Virus with apparently increased resistance to inactivation by near ultraviolet radiation was isolated. Virus with increased resistance to far ultraviolet radiation was not obtained. No significant differences in response to thermal radiation were observed between wild virus and virus selected for increased resistance to inactivation by this agent. Repeated selection treatment with far ultraviolet radiation and with near ultraviolet radiation resulted in the production of virus with significantly reduced virulence in comparison with wild virus. The virulence of heat-selected virus did not differ from wild virus.     

Calicivirus Inactivation by Nonionizing (253.7-Nanometer-Wavelength [UV]) and Ionizing (Gamma) Radiation

Noroviruses (previously Norwalk-like viruses) are the most common viral agents associated with food- and waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis. In the absence of culture methods for noroviruses, animal caliciviruses were used as model viruses to study inactivation by nonionizing (253.7-nm-wavelength [UV]) and ionizing (gamma) radiation. Here, we studied the respiratory feline calicivirus (FeCV) and the presumed enteric canine calicivirus (CaCV) and compared them with the well-studied bacteriophage MS2. When UV irradiation was used, a 3-log₁₀ reduction was observed at a fluence of 120 J/m² in the FeCV suspension and at a fluence of 200 J/m² for CaCV; for the more resistant phage MS2 there was a 3-log₁₀ reduction at a fluence of 650 J/m². Few or no differences were observed between levels of UV inactivation in high- and low-protein-content virus stocks. In contrast, ionizing radiation could readily inactivate MS2 in water, and there was a 3-log₁₀ reduction at a dose of 100 Gy, although this did not occur when the phage was diluted in high-protein-content stocks of CaCV or FeCV. The low-protein-content stocks showed 3-log₁₀ reductions at a dose of 500 Gy for FeCV and at a dose of 300 for CaCV. The inactivation rates for both caliciviruses with ionizing and nonionizing radiation were comparable but different from the inactivation rates for MS2. Although most FeCV and CaCV characteristics, such as overall particle and genome size and structure, are similar, the capsid sequences differ significantly, making it difficult to predict human norovirus inactivation. Adequate management of UV and gamma radiation processes for virus inactivation should limit public health risks.     

Effect of Temperature of Liquid Nitrogen on Radiation Resistance of Spores of Clostridium botulinum

An apparatus consisting of a Dewar flask and a relay system controlling the flow of liquid nitrogen permitted the irradiation of samples in tin cans or Pyrex tubes at temperatures ranging from 0 ± 1.5 C to -194 ± 2 C. An inoculated pack comprising 320 cans of ground beef containing 5 × 10⁴ spores of Clostridium botulinum 33A per can (10 cans per radiation dose) was irradiated with Co⁶⁰ at 0 and -196 C. Incubation was carried out at 30 C for 6 months. Approximately 0.9 Mrad more radiation was required to inactivate the spores at -196 C than at 0 C. Cans irradiated at -196 C showed partial spoilage at 3.6 Mrad and no spoilage at 3.9 Mrad; the corresponding spoilage-no spoilage doses at 0 C were 2.7 and 3.0, respectively. The majority of positive cans swelled in 2 to 14 days; occasional swelling occurred as late as 20 days. At progressively higher doses, swelling was delayed proportionally to the radiation dose received. The remaining nonswollen cans had no toxin after 6 months of storage, although occasional cans contained very low numbers of viable spores comprising on the average 0.1% of the original spore inoculum. The D₁₀ values in phosphate buffer were 0.290 Mrad for 0 C and 0.396 Mrad for -196 C; in ground beef, the corresponding D₁₀ values were 0.463 Mrad and 0.680 Mrad, respectively. These D₁₀ values indicate that the lethal effect of γ rays decreased at -196 C as compared with 0 C by 13.5% in phosphate buffer, and by 47% in ground beef.     

Determination of Pyrimidine Dimers in Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium parvum during UV Light Inactivation, Photoreactivation, and Dark Repair

UV inactivation, photoreactivation, and dark repair of Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium parvum were investigated with the endonuclease sensitive site (ESS) assay, which can determine UV-induced pyrimidine dimers in the genomic DNA of microorganisms. In a 99.9% inactivation of E. coli, high correlation was observed between the dose of UV irradiation and the number of pyrimidine dimers induced in the DNA of E. coli. The colony-forming ability of E. coli also correlated highly with the number of pyrimidine dimers in the DNA, indicating that the ESS assay is comparable to the method conventionally used to measure colony-forming ability. When E. coli were exposed to fluorescent light after a 99.9% inactivation by UV irradiation, UV-induced pyrimidine dimers in the DNA were continuously repaired and the colony-forming ability recovered gradually. When kept in darkness after the UV inactivation, however, E. coli showed neither repair of pyrimidine dimers nor recovery of colony-forming ability. When C. parvum were exposed to fluorescent light after UV inactivation, UV-induced pyrimidine dimers in the DNA were continuously repaired, while no recovery of animal infectivity was observed. When kept in darkness after UV inactivation, C. parvum also showed no recovery of infectivity in spite of the repair of pyrimidine dimers. It was suggested, therefore, that the infectivity of C. parvum would not recover either by photoreactivation or by dark repair even after the repair of pyrimidine dimers in the genomic DNA.     

Inactivation of phosphofructokinase by dialdehyde-ATP.

Rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase (PFK) is rapidly inactivated by a 2′,3′-dialdehyde derivative of adenosine triphosphate (dialdehyde-ATP). When allowed to react with 0.6 mm dialdehyde-ATP in 0.1 m borate buffer (pH 8.6) containing 0.2 mm EDTA and 0.5 mm dithiothreitol, PFK loses essentially all activity (99%) in 30 min. The modified PFK remains inactive following dialysis of the reaction mixture against sodium borate (pH 8.0) containing fructose diphosphate, EDTA, and dithiothreitol. Experiments with [¹⁴C]dialdehyde-ATP show that 99% inactivation of PFK corresponds to incorporation of 3 to 4 mol of the ATP analog per PFK protomer. The inactivation of PFK with dialdehyde reagent is not caused by dissociation of the 340,000 M_r, tetramer to the 170,000 M_r dimer, as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation. Adenosine diphosphate or ATP protect PFK from inactivation by dialdehyde-ATP at pH 8.6, but fructose 6-phosphate, cyclic 3′,5t$\text{-}\text{?}$adenosine monophosphate, or fructose diphosphate, which protect PFK from modification by pyridoxal phosphate, provide little protection from inactivation. Amino acid analyses of dialdehyde-inactivated PFK and of a control sample of the enzyme were compared following reaction of each with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene. The results show that three or four lysine residues per PFK protomer are modified by dialdehyde-ATP. Additional data indicate that these lysine residues react with dialdehyde-ATP to form dihydroxymorpholine-like adducts rather than Schiff bases.     

Sunlight Inactivation of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Bacteriophages from Waste Stabilization Pond Effluent in Fresh and Saline Waters

Sunlight inactivation in fresh (river) water of fecal coliforms, enterococci, Escherichia coli, somatic coliphages, and F-RNA phages from waste stabilization pond (WSP) effluent was compared. Ten experiments were conducted outdoors in 300-liter chambers, held at 14°C (mean river water temperature). Sunlight inactivation (k_S) rates, as a function of cumulative global solar radiation (insolation), were all more than 10 times higher than the corresponding dark inactivation (k_D) rates in enclosed (control) chambers. The overall k_S ranking (from greatest to least inactivation) was as follows: enterococci > fecal coliforms ≥ E. coli > somatic coliphages > F-RNA phages. In winter, fecal coliform and enterococci inactivation rates were similar but, in summer, enterococci were inactivated far more rapidly. In four experiments that included freshwater-raw sewage mixtures, enterococci survived longer than fecal coliforms (a pattern opposite to that observed with the WSP effluent), but there was little difference in phage inactivation between effluents. In two experiments which included simulated estuarine water and seawater, sunlight inactivation of all of the indicators increased with increasing salinity. Inactivation rates in freshwater, as seen under different optical filters, decreased with the increase in the spectral cutoff (50% light transmission) wavelength. The enterococci and F-RNA phages were inactivated by a wide range of wavelengths, suggesting photooxidative damage. Inactivation of fecal coliforms and somatic coliphages was mainly by shorter (UV-B) wavelengths, a result consistent with photobiological damage. Fecal coliform repair mechanisms appear to be activated in WSPs, and the surviving cells exhibit greater sunlight resistance in natural waters than those from raw sewage. In contrast, enterococci appear to suffer photooxidative damage in WSPs, rendering them susceptible to further photooxidative damage after discharge. This suggests that they are unsuitable as indicators of WSP effluent discharges to natural waters. Although somatic coliphages are more sunlight resistant than the other indicators in seawater, F-RNA phages are the most resistant in freshwater, where they may thus better represent enteric virus survival.     

Role of electrolytes and starvation in altering apparent radiosensitivity of baker's yeast

1. Respiration and fermentation of yeast receiving 90,000 r of 250 kv. x-rays were studied under a variety of conditions. This dose will nearly completely inhibit growth or colony formation. 2. The apparent effects of irradiation are quite dependent on the K⁺ and H⁺ of the suspending medium. At pH 4.5 stimulatory effects were observed in KH₂PO₂ buffer and inhibition in potassium-free (T-S-T) buffer. At pH 6.5 the situation was reversed and the effects were very small (about 10 per cent). Addition of K⁺ to irradiated yeast in T-S-T buffer at pH 4.5 can completely reverse the inhibition seen. 3. Starving increases the apparent radiosensitivity of respiration and fermentation, probably by depletion of metabolite and/or electrolyte reserves. 4. Treatment with a cation exchange resin (dowex 50) results in marked inhibition of these processes in irradiated yeast, either fresh or starved. This was most effective if given after irradiation. Almost complete inhibition of anaerobic CO₂ production occurs with starvation, irradiation, and dowex treatment combined. 5. The effects of starvation and cation exchange resin treatment can be reversed, though not completely, by adding K⁺ to the medium.