A new method for the demonstration of the Bordetella bronchiseptica capsule in electron microscopy

A new and rapid working method is presented for electronmicroscopic preparation of capsules from gram negative bacteria, e.g. Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida. The advantage of the new technique is the availability of the results within 30 min after starting the preparation. The staining of the capsule by alcian blue has to be done as a first step together with glutaraldehyde fixation, before staining the bacterial cell with phosphotungstic acid. The new staining technic also reveals structural details of the capsule. The described procedure was found to be useful in controlling the development of the bacterial capsule depending on culture media for propagation and maintenance of the above mentioned bacteria.     

Renewable enzyme reactors based on beds of artificial gel antibodies

A novel approach is described for the synthesis of beds for enzyme reactors. The method is based on the use of artificial antibodies in the form of polyacrylamide gel particles with diameters around 0.1–0.3 mm. These gel particles mimic protein antibodies, raised in experimental animals, in the sense that they selectively recognize and adsorb only the protein present during the preparation of the “antibodies”. The gel antibodies have several advantages over conventional protein antibodies, which can be taken advantage of in the design of enzyme reactors; for instance, if upon prolonged use the immobilized enzyme loses its activity it can easily be replaced by an active enzyme, which is not possible when the enzyme is immobilized via a conventional protein antibody (a new bed with immobilized protein antibodies must be prepared); and equally or more remarkable: the enzyme can be applied in the form of a non-purified extract since the selectivity of the artificial gel antibodies is so high that they will “fish-out” the enzyme, but no other proteins in the extract. In addition, no preconcentration of the enzyme solution is required prior to the immobilization, since the enzyme is enriched at the top of the column upon the application. These unique properties make enzyme reactors based on artificial gel antibodies very attractive, also in process chromatography. The potential application range of the artificial gel antibodies is enormous since the same method for their synthesis can be used independent of the structure and the size of the “antigen”; for instance, renewable biosensors based on gel antibodies for the selective detection of protein biomarkers, as well as pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and spores (for instance Anthrax) should not be difficult to design.     

Microscopic quantification of bacterial invasion by a novel antibody-independent staining method

Microscopic discrimination between extracellular and invasive, intracellular bacteria is a valuable technique in microbiology and immunology. We describe a novel fluorescence staining protocol, called FITC-biotin-avidin (FBA) staining, which allows the differentiation between extracellular and intracellular bacteria and is independent of specific antibodies directed against the microorganisms. FBA staining of eukaryotic cells infected with Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Neisseria or the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus are employed to validate the novel technique. The quantitative evaluation of intracellular pathogens by the FBA staining protocol yields identical results compared to parallel samples stained with conventional, antibody-dependent methods. FBA staining eliminates the need for cell permeabilization resulting in robust and rapid detection of invasive microbes. Taken together, FBA staining provides a reliable and convenient alternative for the differential detection of intracellular and extracellular bacteria and should be a valuable technical tool for the quantitative analysis of the invasive properties of pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms.     

沙棘根瘤内生细菌中抑菌促生菌株的筛选和鉴定

【背景】植物内生细菌可产生具有抑菌和促生活性的物质,既能抑制植物病原菌对寄主植物的侵染,也能促进植物的生长。沙棘根瘤内生细菌是根瘤内除共生固氮的弗兰克氏菌外,与沙棘共生的一大类微生物。研究具有抑菌和促生活性的植物内生菌,可为微生物菌肥的研究提供理论基础。【目的】筛选具有优良抑菌和促生活性的沙棘根瘤内生细菌,初步研究其抑菌和促生活性,并对菌株进行鉴定。【方法】采用双层琼脂法、琼脂扩散法、双层平板对峙法、牛津杯法进行沙棘根瘤拮抗性内生细菌的筛选。选取抑菌活性较高的内生细菌,分别采用Salkowski比色法、ChromeAzurolS(CAS)平板检测法和钼锑抗比色法进行产吲哚乙酸、铁载体及溶磷能力的测定。采用发酵液灌根法测定沙棘根瘤内生细菌SR308对黄瓜促生作用的盆栽效果。通过形态和培养特征、生理生化试验及16S rRNA基因序列分析法对菌株TT201和SR308进行鉴定。【结果】从131株沙棘根瘤内生细菌中筛选出9株具有较强抑菌活性的内生细菌,其中菌株TT201抑菌性最佳、抑菌谱广;菌株SR308的促生活性最好,其发酵液对黄瓜的生长具有较强的促进作用。对具有较强抑菌和促生活性的菌株TT201和SR308进行鉴定的结果表明,菌株TT201为侧孢短芽孢杆菌(Brevibacilluslaterosporus),菌株SR308为蕈状芽孢杆菌(Bacillusmycoides)。【结论】获得2株具有优良抑菌和促生活性的沙棘根瘤内生细菌,为进一步开发微生物农药及菌肥提供了资源。     

Development of a PCR Assay for Detection of Yersinia ruckeri in Tissues of Inoculated and Naturally Infected Trout

A PCR-based method was developed for the specific detection of Yersinia ruckeri in tissues of inoculated trout and naturally infected trout. No amplification products were obtained with other yersiniae, bacterial fish pathogens, or phylogenetically related bacteria (n = 34). The sensitivity of PCR detection was 60 to 65 bacterial cells per PCR tube, which was decreased to 10 to 20 cells by hybridization with a nonradioactive probe. The PCR assay proved to be as reliable as and faster than the conventional culture method for the detection of Y. ruckeri in infected trout tissues.     

A simple, rapid method for demonstrating bacterial flagella

We developed a simple, rapid method for demonstrating flagellation of bacteria using the fluorescent protein stain NanoOrange (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oreg.). The NanoOrange reagent binds to hydrophobic regions of proteins, which results in substantial enhancement of fluorescence. Unbound reagent is essentially nonfluorescent. NanoOrange fluorescently stained bacterial cell bodies, as well as flagella and other appendages, which could be directly observed by epifluorescence microscopy. Detection of flagella was further improved by using a charge-coupled device camera for image capture and processing. The reliability of the method was tested by using 37 pure cultures of marine bacteria. Detection of flagella on the isolates by NanoOrange staining was compared to detection by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For 36 of 37 cultures, the two methods yielded the same results. In one case, flagella were detected by TEM but not by NanoOrange, although the difference may be attributable to differences between the culture preparations. NanoOrange staining is rapid (10 to 15 min) and does not require fixation or dehydration, so live samples can be stained. Since NanoOrange is a general protein stain and works directly in seawater, it may also prove to be useful for staining other proteinaceous material that is of interest to aquatic microbial ecologists.     

A Simple, Rapid Method for Demonstrating Bacterial Flagella

We developed a simple, rapid method for demonstrating flagellation of bacteria using the fluorescent protein stain NanoOrange (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oreg.). The NanoOrange reagent binds to hydrophobic regions of proteins, which results in substantial enhancement of fluorescence. Unbound reagent is essentially nonfluorescent. NanoOrange fluorescently stained bacterial cell bodies, as well as flagella and other appendages, which could be directly observed by epifluorescence microscopy. Detection of flagella was further improved by using a charge-coupled device camera for image capture and processing. The reliability of the method was tested by using 37 pure cultures of marine bacteria. Detection of flagella on the isolates by NanoOrange staining was compared to detection by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For 36 of 37 cultures, the two methods yielded the same results. In one case, flagella were detected by TEM but not by NanoOrange, although the difference may be attributable to differences between the culture preparations. NanoOrange staining is rapid (10 to 15 min) and does not require fixation or dehydration, so live samples can be stained. Since NanoOrange is a general protein stain and works directly in seawater, it may also prove to be useful for staining other proteinaceous material that is of interest to aquatic microbial ecologists.     

Detection of Bacteria in Phagocyte-Smears from Septicemia-Suspected Blood by In Situ Hybridization Using Biotinylated Probes

We report herein the detection of intracellular bacteria in phagocyte-smears obtained from septicemia-suspected blood samples by in situ hybridization. This was obtained by using nick-translated biotin-11-dUTP-labeled DNA probes and streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugates for visualization of the hybridized signals. The probes were made from random genomic DNA clones of bacteria which are frequently the causative agents of bacteremia, such as Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. When our in situ hybridization method was compared with conventional culture protocols for the ability to detect bacteria from the blood of patients suspected of having septicemia, 30 positive results were obtained in 50 specimens by in situ hybridization methods. In contrast, only 7 positive results were obtained by blood cultures. Thus, even if bacteria cannot be detected by conventional blood cultures and histology, our in situ hybridization method allows for direct observation of bacterial foci in circulating phagocytes and identification of the bacteria. Our investigations suggest that in septicemia, circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils carry some surviving bacteria as well as metabolized bacterial DNA and RNA for a considerable period of time. Thus, our in situ hybridization method using the phagocyte-smears have diagnostic value for detecting most bacteria which cause septicemia.     

Detection of microbial contaminants in mammalian cell cultures using a new fluorescence-based staining method

Aims: Microbial contamination of cell culture production processes is a current concern for biopharmaceutical industries. Traditional testing methods require several days to detect contamination and may advantageously be replaced by a rapid detection method. We developed a new method combining membrane filtration to microcolonies fluorescence staining method (MFSM) and compared it to epifluorescence microscopy. Methods and Results: Both methods were used to detect bacteria in CHO cells cultures. The epifluorescence microscopy showed to be limited by filterability, media interference and nonrobustness issues, whereas MFSM enabled consistent detection of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes after, respectively, 8, 9 and 48 h of incubation. Thanks to the nondestructive feature of the MFSM, stained membranes could be reincubated on culture media to yield visible colonies used for identification. Conclusions: The new method described in this study showed its ability to detect microbial contaminants in cell culture samples with time‐to‐results from 2–5 times shorter than the traditional testing method. Significance and Impact of the Study: The MFSM can be used as monitoring tool for cell cultures to significantly shorten detection times of microbial contamination, while preserving the ability to identify the contaminants and their viability.     

Eukaryote-Made Thermostable DNA Polymerase Enables Rapid PCR-Based Detection of Mycoplasma,Ureaplasma and Other Bacteria in the Amniotic Fluid of Preterm Labor Cases

Background

Intra-amniotic infection has long been recognized as the leading cause of preterm delivery. Microbial culture is the gold standard for the detection of intra-amniotic infection, but several days are required, and many bacterial species in the amniotic fluid are difficult to cultivate.

Methods

We developed a novel nested-PCR-based assay for detecting Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, other bacteria and fungi in amniotic fluid samples within three hours of sample collection. To detect prokaryotes, eukaryote-made thermostable DNA polymerase, which is free from bacterial DNA contamination, is used in combination with bacterial universal primers. In contrast, to detect eukaryotes, conventional bacterially-made thermostable DNA polymerase is used in combination with fungal universal primers. To assess the validity of the PCR assay, we compared the PCR and conventional culture results using 300 amniotic fluid samples.

Results

Based on the detection level (positive and negative), 93.3% (280/300) of Mycoplasma, 94.3% (283/300) of Ureaplasma, 89.3% (268/300) of other bacteria and 99.7% (299/300) of fungi matched the culture results. Meanwhile, concerning the detection of bacteria other than Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma, 228 samples were negative according to the PCR method, 98.2% (224/228) of which were also negative based on the culture method. Employing the devised primer sets, mixed amniotic fluid infections of Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma and/or other bacteria could be clearly distinguished. In addition, we also attempted to compare the relative abundance in 28 amniotic fluid samples with mixed infection, and judged dominance by comparing the Ct values of quantitative real-time PCR.

Conclusions

We developed a novel PCR assay for the rapid detection of Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, other bacteria and fungi in amniotic fluid samples. This assay can also be applied to accurately diagnose the absence of bacteria in samples. We believe that this assay will positively contribute to the treatment of intra-amniotic infection and the prevention of preterm delivery.     

A rapid method for the detection of representative coliforms in water samples: polymerase chain reaction-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA)

Methods to detect the presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water usually involve a series of complex cultivating steps that are time-consuming and subject to external influences. For this reason, the new 16S rRNA probe has been developed in this study as an alternative detector PCR-ELISA technique that does not involve the culture of bacteria and that is able to detect, identify, and quantify the representative coliform species present in water samples. Our results indicate that this technique is both rapid (detection time of 4 h) and accurate (1.4% error rate). The limit of detection (LOD) was 5 CFU/100 ml for total coliforms, which meets the standards set by most countries for drinking water. Our comparative study demonstrated that this PCR-ELISA method is superior to current conventional methods in terms of detection time, LOD, and accuracy.     

Identification of pathogenic bacteria in blood cultures: Comparison between conventional and PCR methods

Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were found to be the most prevalent bacteremia-causing bacteria in a survey in a medical center. A PCR method for identification of these five most common pathogens in blood cultures was developed. A unique sequence was chosen for each pathogen and used for primer design. Sixty-one blood samples (from hospitalized patients) in which bacterial growth was detected were processed in parallel by conventional microbiological methods and by the PCR method. The results obtained by PCR were identical to those obtained by conventional methods in 93.4% of the cases. PCR failed to identify bacteria which were found conventionally in only 6.6% of the cases (mostly bacteria not included in the PCR cassette). Another group of eighty-eight blood samples from patients were processed immediately upon their arrival at the laboratory by taking aliquots for the PCR method. The blood sample bottles were processed in parallel by conventional methods. In 78.4% of the cases the results of both methods were identical. In 12.5% of the cases, PCR afforded identification of bacteria but conventional methods showed no bacteria in the sample. On the other hand, PCR afforded 9.1% negative results while conventional methods identified bacteria not included in the PCR cassette. It is concluded that the molecular method appears to be a specific and precise method for identifying pathogenic bacteria in blood samples.     

聚合酶链式反应检测结核杆菌的研究

以人型结核杆菌基因组DNA为模板,合成二段引物各20个碱基进行聚合酶链式反应(PCR)。经琼脂糖凝胶电泳证实,获得一条245bp扩增带。PCR检测的敏感性染色体基因组DNA为1pg,菌悬液为13个活菌／ml。在特异性试验中,人型结核杆趋,牛型结核杆菌、BCG可见此扩增带。被试的其它14种扰酸菌以及变铅青链霉菌、大肠杆菌质粒Puc19、星状诺卡氏菌、红球菌均未见该扩增带。54例肺结核痰标本3种方法检查的阳性率分别为：萋尼氏抗酸染色16．7％,培养法14．8％,PCR 37．0％。前2种检查方法分别与PCR比较,经统计学处理均有显著性差异(P<0．01)。12例非结核性肺部疾患痰标本抗酸染色和PCR均为阴性。结果表明,PCR技术是快速、敏感、特异诊断结核病的方法。     

Indirect immunofluorescence colony staining method for detecting bacterial pathogens of tomato.

An indirect immunofluorescence colony staining method was developed for the detection of important seed-borne bacterial pathogens of tomato. The method involves the use of specific antiserum for initial binding of target bacteria and visualization of positive colonies with a commercially available secondary antiserum conjugated with FITC and observed under a fluorescence microscope. The indirect method is especially suitable for laboratories, seed companies, and quarantine stations which have no facilities for conjugation of primary antiserum. It is more economical and overcomes the problems generally encountered with variable conjugate quality in new batches of conjugates prepared from the same stock of primary antiserum. The assay is easy to perform and results can be easily assessed by visual scoring or image analyser. Results are available in 4-5 days as compared to 30-45 days in traditional methods. The resulting bacterial culture can be tested by PCR or host infectivity and a culture can be stored for future reference. Used in combination with highly specific antibodies (commercially available monoclonal and recombinant antibodies) it can be used as a very sensitive detection tool and has application potential in localization studies as well. Choosing the right secondary conjugate is however necessary to get best results in the assay.     

细菌VBNC态检测技术的研究进展

细菌在一些不良压力条件下会进入"活的非可培养状态"(viable but non-culturable,VBNC),其仍具有活力但不能采用常规的平板培养基进行培养,VBNC态细菌一旦培养条件适宜仍能继续生长繁殖,有些致病菌依旧具有毒力。如果检测方法不当,会造成假阳性或假阴性的结果,需要采取适合的检测方法进行检测。文章概述了几种检测VBNC态细菌的方法,如活菌直接计数法、核酸染料检测法、呼吸检测法、分子生物学法、免疫学法、流式细胞仪检测法等,并对检测方法的应用现状进行了评述。     

Development of a nondestructive fluorescence-based enzymatic staining of microcolonies for enumerating bacterial contamination in filterable products

Aims: Develop a nondestructive fluorescence‐based staining procedure to rapidly detect and enumerate bacteria in filterable samples. Methods and Results: The study consists in the development of a staining solution and a protocol to fluorescently detect microcolonies on cellulose membranes. After detection, membranes can be re‐incubated on media to yield colonies. Carboxyfluorescein diacetate was selected among other carboxyfluorescein derivatives for its staining efficiency and the absence of background. Several permeabilizers were evaluated for their ability to promote dye uptake into cells without affecting viability. We demonstrated that a combination of n‐Octyl β‐d ‐glucopyranoside, sodium hexametaphosphate, lithium chloride and rubidium chloride significantly increased the staining efficiency of bacteria without affecting their viability. The method developed allowed the detection in <9 h of all tested aerobic bacteria and in 48 h of the anaerobic slow grower Propionibacterium acnes. Conclusions: This method allows the rapid detection of bacteria in filterable samples in at least three to five times faster than traditional microbiological method. Significance and Impact of the Study: The advantage of this nondestructive procedure is to allow contaminants identification after membrane re‐incubation. This method could be easily applied in routine in pharmaceutical, clinical and food and beverage industries to monitor contaminations.     

Nitrogenase activity in cyanobacteria measured by the acetylene reduction assay: a comparison between batch incubation and on-line monitoring

A new on-line method for measuring acetylene reduction is described. It consists of a gas-flow cell connected to an electronic gas-mixing system and an automatic sample loop in the gas chromatograph. Alternatively, ethylene can be determined by using laser-based trace gas detection. The laser-based trace gas detection technique achieves a detection limit that is three orders of magnitude better than gas chromatography. We have applied the on-line method to the measurement of nitrogen fixation in a culture of the heterocystous cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena and compared it with conventional batch-type incubations. Incubation of N. spumigena in the gas-flow cell resulted in very short response times with a steady-state flux of ethylene obtained within 2 min. Nitrogenase was shown to respond immediately to changes in light and oxygen. Monitoring of nitrogenase activity could be continued for several hours without having a negative impact on nitrogen fixation rates in N. spumigena . This was not the case in batch incubations, in which changes in nitrogenase activities were recorded during incubations, probably as a result of varying oxygen concentrations. It was therefore concluded that the on-line method is superior to batch incubations when rates of nitrogenase activity are to be measured. The method is suitable for natural samples (water or sediment).     

Automated Radiometric Detection of Bacteria in 2,967 Blood Cultures

A new radiometric method for the automatic detection of bacterial growth in blood cultures has been compared with conventional methods. A total of 2,967 cultures from 1,280 patients suspected of having bacteremia were studied. A 2-ml amount of blood was inoculated into culture media in which the glucose was labeled with carbon-14. The release of (14)CO(2) by bacterial metabolism was checked hourly for 18 to 24 hr, daily for the next 2 days, and, on the 12th day, with an automated instrument. A 10-ml amount of blood was studied by conventional bacteriological techniques. In 125 cultures from 50 patients, there was bacterial growth in at least one of the routine media. Of these, the radiometric method detected 102 cultures from 40 patients. In 111 cultures from 48 patients, there was radiometric detection of bacterial growth. In all of these cultures, there was detection of bacterial growth in subcultures from the radioactive medium. Of these, the routine laboratory detected 98 cultures from 40 patients. Neither method detected all patients with bacteremia. Among the 57 patients positive by one or both methods, routine techniques detected bacteria in 87% and the radiometric method detected bacteria in 85%. Seventy per cent of the cultures were detected first by the radiometric method, 65% on the day of inoculation. Our results suggest that the radiometric method is faster than conventional techniques and comparable in accuracy. Its great advantage is that it is simple, automatic, and can be extended to automatic detection of bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics.     

Detection of gene loops by 3C in yeast

“Chromosome conformation capture” (3C) is a powerful method to detect physical interaction between any two genomic loci. 3C involves formaldehyde crosslinking to stabilize transient interactions, followed by restriction digestion, ligation and locus-specific PCR. Accordingly, 3C reveals complex three-dimensional interactions between distal genetic elements within intact cells at high resolution. Here, we describe a modified 3C protocol designed for detection of transient chromatin interactions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using this protocol, we are able to detect juxtaposition of promoter and terminator regions of genes with ORFs as short as 1 kb in length. We anticipate that this method will be generally applicable to detect dynamic, short-range chromatin interactions and will facilitate the characterization of gene loops and their functional consequences.