Action of egg white lysozyme on Clostridium tyrobutyricum

A 500-U ml-1 portion of egg white lysozyme was able to kill 99% of 5 X 10(5) resting vegetative cells of Clostridium tyrobutyricum within 24 h of incubation at 25 degrees C. Spores were completely resistant to lysozyme. Proliferating vegetative cells were severely inhibited, although lysozyme-resistant cells developed in growing cultures in the presence of lysozyme. Whereas early stages of spore germination (loss of optical refractility and heat resistance) were not inhibited by lysozyme, the overall outgrowth of spore cells into vegetative cells was delayed by 1 day in the presence of 500 U of lysosyme ml-1. This delay was independent of the lysozyme sensitivity or resistance of the mother culture of the used spores. It is suggested that this inhibition by lysozyme of the outgrowth of spore cells into vegetative cells of the lactate-fermenting C. tyrobutyricum is the basis for the observation that lysozyme can substitute for nitrate in preventing the "late gas" defect of Edam- and Gouda-type cheeses.     

Inhibition of Bacillus licheniformis spore growth in milk by nisin, monolaurin, and pH combinations

The effects of nisin and monolaurin, alone and in combination, were investigated on Bacillus licheniformis spores in milk at 37 degrees C. In the absence of inhibitors, germinated spores developed into growing vegetative cells and started sporulation at the end of the exponential phase. In the presence of nisin (25 IU ml-1), spore outgrowth was inhibited (4 log10 reduction at 10 h). Regrowth appeared between 10 and 24 h and reached a high population level (1.25 x 10(8) cfu ml-1) after 7 d. Monolaurin (250 micrograms ml-1) had a bacteriostatic effect during the first 10 h but thereafter, regrowth occurred slowly with a population level after 7 d (4 x 10(5) cfu ml-1) lower than that of nisin. Different combined effects of nisin (between 0 and 42 IU ml-1), monolaurin (ranging from 0 to 300 micrograms ml-1), pH values (between 5.0 and 7.0) and spore loads (10(3), 10(4), 10(5) spores ml-1) were investigated using a Doehlert matrix in order to study the main effects of these factors and the different interactions. Results were analysed using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and indicated that nisin and monolaurin had no action on spores before germination; only pH values had a significant effect (P < or = 0.001), i.e. spore count decreased as the pH value increased in relation to germination. Sublethal concentrations of nisin (30 IU ml-1) and monolaurin (100 micrograms ml-1) in combination acted synergistically on outgrown spores and vegetative cells, showing total inhibition at pH 6.0, without regrowth, within 7 d at 37 degrees C.     

Correlation of penicillin-binding protein composition with different functions of two membranes in Bacillus subtilis forespores.

The distribution of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) within different membranes of sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis was examined in an effort to correlate the location of individual PBPs with their proposed involvement in either cortical or vegetative peptidoglycan synthesis. The PBP composition of forespores was determined by two methods: examination of isolated forespore membranes and assay of the in vivo accessibility of the PBPs to penicillin. In both cases, it was apparent that PBP 5*, the major PBP synthesized during sporulation, was present primarily, but not exclusively, in the forespore. The membranes from mature dormant spores were prepared by either chemically stripping the integument layers of the spores, followed by lysozyme digestion, or lysozyme digestion alone of coat-defective gerE spores. PBP 5* was detected in membranes from unstripped spores but was never found in stripped ones, which suggests that the primary location of this PBP is the outer forespore membrane. This is consistent with a role for PBP 5* exclusively in cortex synthesis. In contrast, vegetative PBPs 1 and 2A were only observed in stripped spore preparations that were greatly enriched for the inner forespore membrane, which supports the proposed requirement for these PBPs early in germination. The apparent presence of PBP 3 in both membranes of the spore reinforces the suggestion that it catalyzes a step common to both cortical and vegetative peptidoglycan synthesis.     

APPLICATION OF A DOUBLE TUBE SYSTEM FOR ENUMERATION OF CLOSTRIDIUM TYROBUTYRICUM

Clostridium tyrobutyricum, a spore-forming, gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium, is considered to be the main organisms responsible for the late spoilage of cheese by gas formation. Most methods for detecting C. tyrobutyricum are based on spore germination and vegetative growth and take 4–7 days plus an identification step for confirmation. The purpose of this study was to develop a faster detection method using a Double Tube System. Because no selective medium is available for detection of C. tyrobutyricum, three media (Reinforced Clostridial, AC, and Tomato Juice) were compared using two strains of C. tyrobutyricum and one strain of C. sporogenes. Each 4 day-old test strain was inoculated on duplicated plates of each agar that were then placed in anaerobic jars or in the double-tube systems for 2–4 days at 30 or 37C. All three agars consistently supported growth of the test strains. Counts did not differ with incubation at 30 or 37C and were comparable using the conventional anaerobic jar or a Double Tube System. However, in the Double Tube System, colonies could be counted accurately at least 6 h earlier than on the plates in anaerobic jars.     

Properties of fructose 1,6-diphosphate aldolases from spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus

Fructose 1,6-diphosphate aldolase from cells of Bacillus cereus appears to be typical Class II aldolase as judged by its functional and physical properties. Spore and vegetative cell aldolase had similar enzymatic, immunochemical, and heat resistance properties in the absence of calcium, but they differed in their thermal stabilities in the presence of calcium, their Stokes' radii, their mobility in acrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their molecular weights. The pH optimum for both enzymes was 8.5, and their K(m) with respect to substrate was 2 x 10(-3)m. Highly purified spore and vegetative cell aldolases were both heat labile with half-lives of 4 min at 53 C and pH 6.4. In the presence of 3 x 10(-2)m solution of calcium ions, the stability of the spore protein increased 12-fold but the vegetative form became more heat labile. The enhanced stability of the spore aldolase was not diminished by dialysis or gel filtration but was lost after chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose at pH 7.4. Aldolase from vegetative cells exists in an equilibrium mixture of two molecular weights, 115,000 and 79,000 in the approximate ratio of 1:4, respectively. The molecular weight of spore aldolase is 44,000. Spore aldolase was more mobile during electrophoresis than its vegetative cell counterpart because of its smaller size.     

Role of the coat in resistance of bacterial spores to inactivation by ethylene oxide

A study of spore morphology revealed an association between resistance to ethylene oxide and abnormal spore coat development and both characteristics were enhanced by selection and propagation of resistant survivors. After rupture of the coat, spores were sensitized to lysozyme but not to ethylene oxide. Resistance to ethylene oxide was increased following treatment of spores with ureamercaptoethanol-alkali and decreased after treatment with urea. Germinated spores retained resistance to the sterilant and loss of resistance coincided with emergence of the vegetative cells.     

Effects of urinary proteins from certain leukemics upon macromolecular synthesis and enzyme levels in bone marrow cultures.

Urinary proteins from human leukemic patients have been found to alter quantitatively macromolecular synthesis in primary mouse bone marrow cultures. Urinary protein-stimulated incorporation of [3H]uridine into RNA was found after 1 day of culture. Increased levels of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase and lysozyme were demonstrable at 3 and 5 days, respectively, with urinary protein-supplemented cultures. The incorporation of 3H-labeled deoxynucleosides into DNA was higher in the presence of urinary proteins after 2 days of culture. The rate of incorporation of [3H]deoxyuridine into DNA was strongly inhibited by 10(-5) M Methotrexate and 10(-6) M 5-fluorodeoxyuridine, however, the effect of urinary proteins on incorporation of [3H]uridine into RNA and lysozyme accumulation were not inhibited. Urinary proteins also stimulated the formation of "colonies" (groups of at least 30 cells) in media containing methylcellulose. This latter phenomenon was also not inhibited by 10(-5) M Methotrexate or 10(-6) M 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. The results of these studies are consistent with the postulate that in the presence of human urinary proteins, mouse bone marrow cells in culture proceed to a phenotype characteristic of circulating peripheral white cells.     

Effect of depletion of FtsY on spore morphology and the protein composition of the spore coat layer in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis FtsY is a homolog of the alpha-subunit of mammalian signal recognition particle (SRP) receptor, and is essential for protein translocation and vegetative cell growth. An FtsY conditional null mutant (strain ISR39) can express ftsY during the vegetative stage but not during spore formation. Spores of ISR39 have the same resistance to heat and chloroform as the wild-type, while their resistance to lysozyme is reduced. Electron microscopy showed that the outer coat of spores was incompletely assembled. The coat protein profile of the ftsY mutant spores was different from that of wild-type spores. The amounts of CotA, and CotE were reduced in spore coat proteins of ftsY mutant spores and the molecular mass of CotB was reduced. In addition, CotA, CotB, and CotE are present in normal form at T(8) of sporulation in ftsY mutant cells. These results suggest that FtsY has a pivotal role in assembling coat proteins onto the coat layer during spore morphogenesis.     

Germination and physiological properties of Frankia spores

Spores from four Frankia strains were isolated and purified to homogeneity. The purified spores were biochemically and physiologically characterized and compared to vegetative cells. Frankia spores exhibited low levels of endogenous respiration that were at least ten-fold lower than the endogenous respiration rate of vegetative cells. The macromolecular content of purified spores and vegetative cells differed. One striking difference among the Frankia spores was their total DNA content. From DAPI staining experiments, only 9% of strain ACN1^AG spore population contained DNA. With strains DC12 and EuI1c, 92% and 67% of their spore population contained DNA. The efficiency of spore germination was correlated to the percentage of the spore population containing DNA. These results suggest that the majority of strain ACN1^AG spores were immature or nonviable. The presence of a solidifying agent inhibited the initial stages of spore germination, but had no effect once the process had been initiated. The optimal incubation temperature for spore germination was 25°C and 30°C for strains DC12 and EuI1c, respectively. A mild heat shock increased the efficiency of spore germination, while root extracts also stimulated spore germination. These results suggest that strains DC12 and EuI1c may be suitable strains for further germination and genetic studies.     

Peptide Synthesis by Extracts from Bacillus subtilis Spores

Cell-free peptide synthesis by extracts from vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus subtilis was analyzed and compared. The initial rate of phenylalanine incorporation in a polyuridylate-directed system was found to be in a similar range for the two extracts. However, spore extracts frequently incorporated less total phenylalanine as did the vegetative cell system. Optimal conditions for amino acid incorporation by spore extracts were found to be similar to those of vegetative cell extracts. Polyphenylalanine synthesis was stimulated by preincubation of both extracts prior to the addition of polyuridylic acid (poly U) and labeled phenylalanine. Both systems showed a dependence on an energy-generating system and were inhibited by chloramphenicol and puromycin. Ribonuclease, but not deoxyribonuclease, inhibited the reaction significantly. The presence of methionine transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA(F)) and methionyl-tRNA(F) transformylase was demonstrated in spore extracts. An analysis of several aminoacyl-tRNAs in spores revealed that the relative amounts of these tRNAs were similar to those found in vegetative cells. Only lysine tRNA was found to be present in relatively greater amounts in spores. These results indicate that dormant spores of B. subtilis contain the machinery for the translation of genetic information.     

The effect of acid shock on sporulating Bacillus subtilis cells

AIMS: To study the effect of acid shock in sporulation on the production of acid-shock proteins, and on the heat resistance and germination characteristics of the spores formed subsequently. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacillus subtilis wild-type (SASP-alpha+beta+) and mutant (SASP-alpha-beta-) cells in 2 x SG medium at 30 degrees C were acid-shocked with HCl (pH 4, 4.3, 5 and 6 against a control pH of 6.2) for 30 min, 1 h into sporulation. The D85-value of B. subtilis wild-type (but not mutant) spores formed from sporulating cells acid-shocked at pH 5 increased from 46.5 min to 78.8 min, and there was also an increase in the resistance of wild-type acid-shocked spores at both 90 degrees C and 95 degrees C. ALA- or AGFK-initiated germination of pH 5-shocked spores was the same as that of non-acid-shocked spores. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed only one novel acid-shock protein, identified as a vegetative catalase 1 (KatA), which appeared 30 min after acid shock but was lost later in sporulation. CONCLUSIONS: Acid shock at pH 5 increased the heat resistance of spores subsequently formed in B. subtilis wild type. The catalase, KatA, was induced by acid shock early in sporulation, but since it was degraded later in sporulation, it appears to act to increase heat resistance by altering spore structure. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first proteomic study of acid shock in sporulating B. subtilis cells. The increasing spore heat resistance produced by acid shock may have significance for the heat resistance of spores formed in the food industry.     

Nonselective Incorporation into Sporangium of Either “Older” or “Younger” Chromosome of the Vegetative Cell During Sporulation in Bacillus cereus

Employing Bacillus cereus strain 2, we examined the fate of two chromosomes contained in vegetative cells in the course of sporulation. Cytological observations and quantitative estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) confirmed the earlier observations that, during the course of sporulation, one of two chromosomes of the vegetative cell was incorporated into the sporangium and the other disappeared into the medium as the result of cell lysis. Log-phase cells, labeled completely with thymine-2-(14)C in the presence of deoxyadenosine, were cultured in the "cold" glucose-glutamate-glycine-salts medium, and culture samples, taken at intervals at successive generations, were subjected to sporulation in glutamate-salts medium. The percentage of radioactivity in the spores separated from each culture remained almost unchanged at nearly 50% and was independent of the number of generations of the preceding culture in the "cold" medium. This suggests that the selective incorporation into the sporangium of either the "older" or "younger" chromosome of a vegetative cell does not occur in the course of spore formation. Some examples of the selective and nonselective behavior of DNA molecules in cellular events in microorganisms are cited.     

Enterocin 012, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus gallinarum isolated from the intestinal tract of ostrich

Enterococcus gallinarum strain 012, isolated from the duodenum of ostrich, produced enterocin 012 which is active against Ent. faecalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lact. sake, Listeria innocua, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, Propionibacterium sp., Clostridium perfringens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium. One of the four pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli isolated from the intestinal tract of ostrich was inhibited by enterocin 012. No antimicrobial activity was recorded against Bacillus cereus, Cl. sporogenes, Cl. tyrobutyricum, Leuconostoc cremoris, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Staphylococcus carnosus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Enterocin 012 was resistant to treatment with lysozyme, catalase, lipase and papain, but sensitive to Proteinase K, alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin and pepsin. Treatment of enterocin 012 with gastric juice from the duodenum resulted in a 50% loss of antibacterial activity. Half of the activity was lost when incubated at 80 degrees C for 30 min, or when kept overnight at a pH of 1.0-5.0 and pH 11.0 and 12.0, respectively. Enterocin 012 production started in mid-logarithmic growth and reached a maximum of 800 AU ml-1, but increased further to 1600 AU ml-1 in the stationary growth phase. The peptide is approximately 3.4 kDa in size, as determined after partial purification with Amberlite XAD-1180 and ammonium sulphate precipitation, followed by tricine-sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The mechanism of antimicrobial activity against Lact. sake LMG 13558 is bactericidal and caused cell lysis of active growing cells.     

PCR detection of potentially pathogenic aeromonads in raw and cold-smoked freshwater fish

AIMS: To determine the mechanism of killing of spores of Bacillus subtilis by ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), an aromatic dialdehyde currently in use as an antimicrobial agent. METHODS AND RESULTS: OPA is sporicidal, although spores are much more OPA resistant than are vegetative cells. Bacillus subtilis mutants deficient in DNA repair, spore DNA protection and spore coat assembly have been used to show that (i) the coat appears to be a major component of spore OPA resistance, which is acquired late in sporulation of B. subtilis at the time of spore coat maturation, and (ii) B. subtilis spores are not killed by OPA through DNA damage but by elimination of spore germination. Furthermore, OPA-treated spores that cannot germinate are not recovered by artificial germinants or by treatment with NaOH or lysozyme. CONCLUSIONS: OPA appears to kill spores by blocking the spore germination process. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This work provides information on the mechanism of spore resistance to, and spore killing by, the disinfectant, OPA.     

A direct PCR detection method for Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores in up to 100 milliliters of raw milk.

A direct detection method for Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores in up to 100 ml of raw milk is presented. The bacterial spores are concentrated by centrifugation after chemical extraction of the milk components. The vegetative cells are selectively lysed, and their DNA is digested and washed away. Afterwards, the DNA is liberated from the spores by microwave treatment. For the identification of the C. tyrobutyricum DNA, a two-step PCR method with two nested pairs of primers is used. The primers were derived from the 16S-23S rRNA spacer region of C. tyrobutyricum, and the specificity of each of them for C. tyrobutyricum is demonstrated. The detection limit can be estimated to be between 3 and 30 spores in 100 ml of raw milk.     

Appearance of gamma-D-glutamyl-(L) meso-diaminopimealate peptidoglycan hydrolase during sporulation in Bacillus sphaericus

Particulate preparations from sporulating cells of Bacillus sphaericus 9602 contained an endopeptidase activity that hydrolyzed the gamma-d-glutamyl-(l)meso-diaminopimelic acid linkages found in the spore cortical peptidoglycan of this organism. Diaminopimelic acid did not occur in the vegetative cell wall peptidoglycan, and the gamma-d-glutamyl-l-lysine linkages found in this polymer were not hydrolyzed by the endopeptidase. The endopeptidase hydrolyzed (X)-l-alanyl-gamma-d-glutamyl-(l)meso-diaminopimelyl(l)-d-alanyl-d-alanine only after removal of the terminal d-alanine residue. The preparations contained an acyl-d-alanyl-d-alanine carboxypeptidase I activity which converted such pentapeptides into substrates for the endopeptidase and which was inhibited 50% by 4 x 10(-7) M benzylpenicillin. This activity also hydrolyzed the analogous pentapeptide substrates containing l-lysine. The preparations also contained an acyl-l-lysyl-d-alanine carboxypeptidase II activity that was not active on the meso-diaminopimelic acid-containing analogue. Neither this activity nor the endopeptidase was inhibited by 10(-3) M benzylpenicillin. The specificities of the carboxypeptidases were consistent with the exclusive presence of l-lysine C-termini in the vegetative peptidoglycan and of meso-diaminopimelyl-d-alanine C-termini in the spore cortical peptidoglycan of B. sphaericus 9602.     

Role of spore coat proteins in the resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores to Caenorhabditis elegans predation

Bacterial spores are resistant to a wide range of chemical and physical insults that are normally lethal for the vegetative form of the bacterium. While the integrity of the protein coat of the spore is crucial for spore survival in vitro, far less is known about how the coat provides protection in vivo against predation by ecologically relevant hosts. In particular, assays had characterized the in vitro resistance of spores to peptidoglycan-hydrolyzing enzymes like lysozyme that are also important effectors of innate immunity in a wide variety of hosts. Here, we use the bacteriovorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a likely predator of Bacillus spores in the wild, to characterize the role of the spore coat in an ecologically relevant spore-host interaction. We found that ingested wild-type Bacillus subtilis spores were resistant to worm digestion, whereas vegetative forms of the bacterium were efficiently digested by the nematode. Using B. subtilis strains carrying mutations in spore coat genes, we observed a correlation between the degree of alteration of the spore coat assembly and the susceptibility to the worm degradation. Surprisingly, we found that the spores that were resistant to lysozyme in vitro can be sensitive to C. elegans digestion depending on the extent of the spore coat structure modifications.     

Cytophysiological Characteristics of the Vegetative and Dormant Cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stenotrophomonas</Emphasis> sp. Strain FM3, a Bacterium Isolated from the Skin of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xenopus laevis</Emphasis> Frog

A bacterial strain (FM3) that is closely related to Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila and S. maltophilia, was isolated from the skin surface of the frog Xenopus laevis. Cytophysiological studies on vegetative cells and cyst-like cells (CLCs) that were obtained in model experiments addressed the dynamics of transition of vegetative cells to the dormant state and their reversion to vegetative growth. The ultrastructural organization of the vegetative and dormant cells of strain FM3 possesses unique properties. Cultures that developed after inoculating vegetative cells were characterized by: (1) resistance to physical factors and sterilization procedures; (2) high antimicrobial activity with respect to some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria; (3) resistance to polypeptide antibiotics; (4) the presence of an easily detaching S-layer on the cell surface; (5) the ability to secret outer membrane vesicles into the intercellular space; and (6) formation of S-layerderived tubular structures associated with outer membrane vesicles that are regularly arranged within the tubes. Dormant cells were characterized by: (1) resistance to dehydration; (2) resistance to high temperatures; and (3) the preservation of the S-layer on the surface of cystlike cells (CLCs). Depending on experimental conditions, strain FM3 formed three CLC morphotypes, which differed in their abundance and ultrastructural organization. The experimental conditions used for CLC formation approximated those under which bacteria survive in hospitals. A model of intermicrobial parasitism is suggested that applies to motile FM3 cells during the development of their populations (cultures).