Rapid detection, identification, and enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in bottled water using peptide nucleic acid probes

A new chemiluminescent in situ hybridization (CISH) method that provides simultaneous detection, identification, and enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in bottled water within 1 working day has been developed. Individual micro-colonies of P. aeruginosa were detected directly on membrane filters following 5 h of growth by use of soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes targeted to a species-specific sequence in P. aeruginosa rRNA. Within each micro-colony, reaction of the peroxidase with a chemiluminescent substrate generated light that was subsequently captured by film or with a digital camera system. Each spot of light represented one micro-colony of P. aeruginosa. Sensitivity and specificity for the identification of P. aeruginosa were 100% as determined by testing 28 P. aeruginosa strains and 17 other bacterial species that included closely related Pseudomonas species. Furthermore, the number of micro-colonies of P. aeruginosa represented by light spots correlated with counts of visible colonies following sustained growth. We conclude that PNA CISH speeds up traditional membrane filtration techniques and adds the specificity of PNA probe technology to generate fast and definitive results.     

Rapid detection, identification, and enumeration of Escherichia coli cells in municipal water by chemiluminescent in situ hybridization

A new chemiluminescent in situ hybridization (CISH) method provides simultaneous detection, identification, and enumeration of culturable Escherichia coli cells in 100 ml of municipal water within one working day. Following filtration and 5 h of growth on tryptic soy agar at 35 degrees C, individual microcolonies of E. coli were detected directly on a 47-mm-diameter membrane filter using soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes targeting a species-specific sequence in E. coli 16S rRNA. Within each microcolony, hybridized, peroxidase-labeled PNA probe and chemiluminescent substrate generated light which was subsequently captured on film. Thus, each spot of light represented one microcolony of E. coli. Following probe selection based on 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence alignments and sample matrix interference, the sensitivity and specificity of the probe Eco16S07C were determined by dot hybridization to RNA of eight bacterial species. Only the rRNA of E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected by Eco16S07C with the latter mismatch hybridization being eliminated by a PNA blocker probe targeting P. aeruginosa 16S rRNA. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of E. coli by PNA CISH were then determined using 8 E. coli strains and 17 other bacterial species, including closely related species. No bacterial strains other than E. coli and Shigella spp. were detected, which is in accordance with 16S rDNA sequence information. Furthermore, the enumeration of microcolonies of E. coli represented by spots of light correlated 92 to 95% with visible colonies following overnight incubation. PNA CISH employs traditional membrane filtration and culturing techniques while providing the added sensitivity and specificity of PNA probes in order to yield faster and more definitive results.     

Rapid Detection, Identification, and Enumeration of Escherichia coli Cells in Municipal Water by Chemiluminescent In Situ Hybridization

A new chemiluminescent in situ hybridization (CISH) method provides simultaneous detection, identification, and enumeration of culturable Escherichia coli cells in 100 ml of municipal water within one working day. Following filtration and 5 h of growth on tryptic soy agar at 35°C, individual microcolonies of E. coli were detected directly on a 47-mm-diameter membrane filter using soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes targeting a species-specific sequence in E. coli 16S rRNA. Within each microcolony, hybridized, peroxidase-labeled PNA probe and chemiluminescent substrate generated light which was subsequently captured on film. Thus, each spot of light represented one microcolony of E. coli. Following probe selection based on 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence alignments and sample matrix interference, the sensitivity and specificity of the probe Eco16S07C were determined by dot hybridization to RNA of eight bacterial species. Only the rRNA of E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected by Eco16S07C with the latter mismatch hybridization being eliminated by a PNA blocker probe targeting P. aeruginosa 16S rRNA. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of E. coli by PNA CISH were then determined using 8 E. coli strains and 17 other bacterial species, including closely related species. No bacterial strains other than E. coli and Shigella spp. were detected, which is in accordance with 16S rDNA sequence information. Furthermore, the enumeration of microcolonies of E. coli represented by spots of light correlated 92 to 95% with visible colonies following overnight incubation. PNA CISH employs traditional membrane filtration and culturing techniques while providing the added sensitivity and specificity of PNA probes in order to yield faster and more definitive results.     

Filter-based PNA in situ hybridization for rapid detection, identification and enumeration of specific micro-organisms

AIMS: A method for rapid and simultaneous detection, identification and enumeration of specific micro-organisms using Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) probes is presented. METHODS AND RESULTS: The method is based on a membrane filtration technique. The membrane filter was incubated for a short period of time. The microcolonies were analysed by in situ hybridization, using peroxidase-labelled PNA probes targeting a species-specific rRNA sequence, and visualized by a chemiluminescent reaction. Microcolonies were observed as small spots of light on film, thereby providing simultaneous detection, identification and enumeration. The method showed 95-100% correlation to standard plate counts along with definitive identification due to the specificity of the probe. CONCLUSION: Using the same protocol, results were generated approximately three times faster than culture methods for Gram-positive and -negative bacterial species and yeast species. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The method is an improvement on the current membrane filtration technique, providing rapid determination of the level of specific pathogens, spoilage or indicator micro-organisms.     

COMPARISON OF MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS FOR MONITORING CHICKEN CARCASS QUALITY

Many methods have been developed to determine microbial levels in food products and these include ATP bioluminescence, hydrophobic grid membrane filtration (HGMF), impediometry and turbidimetry. A comparison of these techniques for detecting microbial levels in chicken carcass rinses was conducted.
Only the ATP bioluminescence assay and the HGMF system showed a good correlation with plate counts (r = 0.82 and r = 0.83, respectively). The repeatability of these methods was acceptable. There was also a significant correlation between results obtained with two turbidimetric methods and HGMF as well as between HGMF and ATP bioluminescence data. However, only the ATP bioluminescence assay was able to provide results of microbial levels on a realtime basis (within 10 min). This would be beneficial for HACCP (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) based programs.     

The application of peptide nucleic acid probes for rapid detection and enumeration of eubacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in recreational beaches of S. Florida

A novel chemiluminescent in situ hybridization technique using peptide nucleic acids (PNA) was adapted for the detection of bacteria in beach sand and recreational waters in South Florida. The simultaneous detection and enumeration of eubacteria and the novel indicators, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was achieved within 6-8 h of processing. Following 5 h of incubation on TSA, soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid probes (Boston Probes, Boston, MA) targeting species-specific 16S rRNA sequences of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were used to hybridize microcolonies of the target species in-situ. In addition, a universal probe for 16S rRNA sequences was used to target the eubacteria. Probes were detected after a light generating reaction with a chemiluminescent substrate and their presence recorded on Polaroid film. The probes showed limited cross-reactivity with mixed indigenous bacteria extracted from seawater and sand by shaking with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Specificity and cross-reactivity was tested on the reference bacterial genera Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Vibrio, Shigella, Salmonella, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia and Citrobacter. These tests confirmed that the probes were specific for the microorganisms of interest and were unaffected by high salt levels. The results of the PNA chemiluminescent in situ hybridization were compared with traditional plate count methods (PCM) for total 'freshwater' eubacteria, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Counts of eubacteria and S. aureus were comparable with numbers obtained from traditional plate counts but levels of P. aeruginosa were higher with PNA than with PCM. It is possible that PNA is more sensitive than PCM because it can detect microcolonies on the agar surface that never fully develop with the plate count method. We conclude that the in situ hybridization technique used here represents an important potential tool for the rapid monitoring of novel indicator organisms in beaches and recreational waters.     

Specific binding of peanut agglutinin and soybean agglutinin to chondroitinase ABC-digested cartilage proteoglycans: Histochemical, ultrastructural cytochemical, and biochemical characterization

Summary The binding of peanut agglutinin (PNA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA) to cartilage proteoglycans was investigated by histochemical, ultrastructural cytochemical, and biochemical methods. Following aldehyde fixation, specimens of rat epiphyseal cartilage were examined by horseradish peroxidase-labelled lectin cytochemistry with and without prior digestion in chondroitinase ABC. At the light microscope level neither PNA nor SBA exhibited any affinity for cartilage matrix, but became strongly bound following chondroitinase treatment. Similarly, at the ultrastructural level, extracellular matrix granules, presumed to be proteoglycan monomer(s), lacked PNA affinity in undigested specimens, and stained very weakly with SBA. Both PNA and SBA weakly to moderately stained thetrans cisternae of the Golgi-flattened cisternae in chondrocytes. The chondrocyte plasmalemma lacked PNA staining, but reacted weakly with SBA. Following chondroitinase digestion, PNA and SBA stained matrix granules, and the cell surface of chondrocytes intensely, whereas the Golgitrans cisternae, the Golgi-derived vacuoles, and multivesicular bodies demonstrated weak to moderate reactivity. Proteoglycan aggregates purified from rat chondrosarcoma and bovine nasal cartilage bound PNA and SBA avidly after digestion with chondroitinase. Undigested proteoglycans lacked affinity for PNA and reacted very weakly with SBA. These results indicate that both PNA and SBA specifically react with chondroitinase-modified oligosaccharide(s) bound to core proteins of cartilage proteoglycans. This provided a specific histochemical and ultrastructural cytochemical procedure for localizing chondroitin sulphate-containing proteoglycans.     

Viable but non-culturable salmonellas in soil

P.E. TURPIN, K.A. MAYCROFT, C.L. ROWLANDS AND E.M.H. WELLINGTON. 1993. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a microwell fluorescent antibody (FA) direct count method have been developed for the monitoring of salmonellas in soil. Both methods have a minimum detection level of ca 10⁶ cells per gram of soil. The FA direct count method gave a linear recovery for the inoculum range 10⁶–10⁹ cells per gram of soil. When monitored by plate counts the survival of salmonellas was greater in a sterile than in a non-sterile soil. Evidence was found for the production of viable but non-culturable salmonellas in non-sterile soil; plate counts dropped rapidly with time, but FA direct counts and ELISA remained level. The salmonella cells became progressively smaller and rounder with time. Dead salmonella cells introduced into soil rapidly disappeared.     

An automated apparatus for the real-time monitoring of bioluminescence in plants

We developed an automated, high-throughput, bioluminescence-monitoring apparatus that can monitor 1920 individual plant seedlings under uniform light conditions. The apparatus is composed of five units: (i) a plate platform that can hold 20 96-well microplates under uniform light conditions, (ii) a scintillation counter, (iii) a robot that conveys plates between the plate platform and a scintillation counter, (iv) a sequence controller, and (v) an external computer that collects and analyzes bioluminescence data automatically. The apparatus gave reproducible and reliable results for both bioluminescence photon counts and period length of bioluminescence rhythms; neither was affected by the well position in a plate or the plate position on the platform. The apparatus is a powerful tool for both large-scale detailed analysis of gene expression and large-scale screening of mutants.     

Luminometry and PCR-based monitoring of gene-tagged cyanobacteria in Baltic Sea microcosms

Abstract The cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803 was tagged by chromosomal integration of the firefly luciferase gene, lue , resulting in the modified strain Synechocystis 6803- luc . The tagged cells were monitored in Baltic Sea microcosms both by detection of the luc gene by PCR amplification and by measurement of luc gene expression (bioluminescence) in total protein extracted from sediment and water. A new method was developed for isolation and concentration of total protein from sediment for optimization of luciferase quantitation. The detection limit for Synechocystis with a chromosomal luc insertion by bioluminescence was in the order of 4 × 10³ cells per g sediment, a considerable improvement in sensitivity over previous methods. Another improvement was to use an internal luciferase standard to correct for quenching of light output by impurities in the samples. Baltic sea microcosms were inoculated with Synechocystis 6803- luc , and the luc DNA and luciferase protein specific to the tagged cells were monitored over time. A decrease in luminescence in the microcosm water was observed, simultaneously with an increase in luminescence in the sediment, suggesting settling of the luc -tagged cells in the sediment layer.     

Comparison of in situ hybridization methods for the assessment of HER-2/neu gene amplification status in breast cancer using a tissue microarray

BackgroundThis project compared HER-2/neu gene status in breast cancers, as demonstrated by FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization) and CISH (chromogenic in situ hybridization) and using a tissue microarray (TMA). The study also aimed to show whether the TMA technique could be used in clinical diagnostics, rather than remain a scientific tool.Materials and methodsA TMA was constructed using 121 breast cancer specimens, 6 cores from each specimen. Demonstration and assessment of HER-2/neu gene status was by FISH (Vysis Path) and CISH (DAKO Duo CISH).ResultsThe 121 breast cancer specimens were divided into 3 groups by HER-2 status, as determined by immunohistochemistry. In the HER-2 negative group no amplification was observed in 36 out of 40 cases. 3 cases showed amplification by both methods and one by CISH alone. The equivocal HER-2 group showed no amplification in 30 out of 41 cases and amplification in 9 cases. One case was FISH negative CISH positive and one was discarded. In the HER-2 positive group, amplification was confirmed in 37 of the 40 cases by both methods. 3 cases were unsuitable for assessment.ConclusionsThis study indicated that CISH is a sensitive alternative to FISH in detecting HER2 gene amplification and may replace FISH in HER2 testing. Good agreement was observed between methods (98.5% – 119 out of 121 cases).Furthermore, as only 4 out of 121 cases were unsuitable for assessment (no signal or missing TMA cores) – it may be feasible to use TMA in diagnostics.     

Microbial biomass estimation

The development of a fully automated on-line monitoring and control system is very important in bioprocesses. One of the most important parameters in these processes is biomass. This review discusses different methods for biomass quantification. A general definition of biomass and biovolume are presented. Interesting concepts about active but not culturable cells considerations are included as well as concepts that must be taken into account when selecting biomass quantification technology. Chemical methods have had few applications in biomass measurement to date; however, bioluminescence can selectively enumerate viable cells. Photometric methods including fluorescence and scattered light measurements are presented. Reference methods including dry and wet weight, viable counts and direct counts are discussed, as well as the physical methods of flow cytometry, impedancimetric and dielectric techniques.     

Microbial Biomass Estimation

ABSTRACT

The development of a fully automated on-line monitoring and control system is very important in bioprocesses. One of the most important parameters in these processes is biomass. This review discusses different methods for biomass quantification. A general definition of biomass and biovolume are presented. Interesting concepts about active but not culturable cells considerations are included as well as concepts that must be taken into account when selecting biomass quantification technology. Chemical methods have had few applications in biomass measurement to date; however, bioluminescence can selectively enumerate viable cells. Photometric methods including fluorescence and scattered light measurements are presented. Reference methods including dry and wet weight, viable counts and direct counts are discussed, as well as the physical methods of flow cytometry, impedancimetric and dielectric techniques.     

ATP bioluminescence rapid detection of total viable count in soy sauce

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence rapid determination method may be useful for enumerating the total viable count (TVC) in soy sauce, as it has been previously used in food and beverages for sanitation with good precision. However, many factors interfere with the correlation between total aerobic plate counts and ATP bioluminescence. This study investigated these interfering factors, including ingredients of soy sauce and bacteria at different physiological stages. Using the ATP bioluminescence method, TVC was obtained within 4 h, compared to 48 h required for the conventional aerobic plate count (APC) method. Our results also indicated a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.90) between total aerobic plate counts and ATP bioluminescence after filtration and resuscitation with special medium. The limit of quantification of the novel detection method is 100 CFU/mL; there is a good linear correlation between the bioluminescence intensity and TVC in soy sauce in the range 1 × 10²–3 × 10⁴ CFU/mL and even wider. The method employed a luminescence recorder (Tristar LB‐941) and 96‐well plates and could analyse 50–100 samples simultaneously at low cost. In this study, we evaluated and eliminated the interfering factors and made the ATP bioluminescence rapid method available for enumerating TVC in soy sauce. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lectin binding pattern and band 3 localization in toad skin epithelium and the effect of salt acclimation

Seven lectins were employed to localize glycoconjugates in the skin of a toad (Bufo viridis). Each of the lectins exhibited a particular, specific and selective binding pattern. Peanut lectin (PNA) and WGA bound to mitochondria-rich (MR) cells, but WGA bound also abundantly, in the dermis. Band 3-like protein, as indicated by the reaction with polyclonal anti band 3 antibody, was localized exclusively in MR cells. Ionic acclimation (200 mmol/L NaCl, or 50 mmol/L KCl) affected profoundly the binding pattern of the lectins. High NaCl acclimation resulted also in diminishing anti band 3 antibody binding, whereas in skins of KCl-acclimated toads the staining remained similar to the control. The binding of WGA but not PNA, corresponded with the same cells that stained with anti band 3 antibody. PNA in concentration of < 10 μg/mL reduced reversibly, both the resting and activated Cl^? conductance by 25–30%. Based on differential binding of band 3, WGA and PNA, these observations provide conclusive verification of the presence of at least two populations of MR cells in the toad skin epithelium. It is suggested that the PNA positive MR cells may correspond to a β-type MR cell. The information can be used to study molecular mechanisms that are involved in ionic acclimation.     

A portable integrated automatic apparatus for the real-time monitoring of bioluminescence in plants

Real-time monitoring of gene expression by a bioluminescence reporter gene is a powerful method for large-scale, detailed analysis of gene expression in living cells and large-scale screening of mutants. We have developed a portable, compact, integrated automatic bioluminescence-monitoring apparatus that can continuously monitor 960 individual plant seedlings or micro-organism colonies under uniform light conditions at temperatures up to 50 °C. The apparatus gave reproducible and reliable results for both bioluminescence photon counts and period length of bioluminescence rhythms of Arabidopsis reporter strain. Using the apparatus, we measured bioluminescence rhythms in the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus at temperature up to 43 °C. We also monitored the expression of the flowering regulator gene CONSTANS in Arabidopsis as bioluminescence in high time resolution under different photoperiodic conditions. The high-throughput bioluminescence-monitoring apparatus developed here is a powerful tool for real-time monitoring of gene expression and gene function.     

The Development of a Bioluminescence Assay to Compare the Efficacy of Biocides Incorporated into Plasticised PVC

A bioluminescence assay was developed using the expression of the luxAB genes in Pseudomonas veronii to allow the efficacy of biocides incorporated into plasticised polyvinylchloride (pPVC) to be determined in situ. A maximum number of cells was found to adhere to the surface after 18 h as measured by bioluminescence, radiolabelling and viable cell counts. A positive correlation was found between the level of bioluminescence and numbers of viable cells attached to the pPVC. When the biocide 10, 10-oxybisphenoxyarsine (OBPA) was incorporated into the pPVC, both bioluminescence and viable cell number were reduced by ca 60% at a concentration of 750 ppm and by >99% at 2250 ppm. When the biocide 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-4-(methylsulphonyl)pyridine (TCMP) was incorporated into the pPVC, no reduction in viability or bioluminescence was seen after 18 h. However, over a period of 72 h at a concentration of 2250 ppm TCMP, both viable cell number and bioluminescence decreased steadily after 36 h until after 72 h, both bioluminescence and viable cell counts were less than 1% of the initial values. The viability of attached cells can therefore be measured in situ in a sensitive real-time assay by measuring bioluminescence allowing the efficacy of biocides incorporated into plastics to be compared.     

Mechanism of sodium uptake in PNA negative MR cells from rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss as revealed by silver and copper inhibition

The rate of acid-stimulated and phenamil-sensitive sodium (Na(+)) uptake was measured in three different cell lineages: pavement cells (PVC), total mitochondrion-rich (MR) cell populations, and peanut lectin agglutinin-negative mitochondrion-rich cells (PNA(-) MR) isolated from the rainbow trout gill epithelium. Despite the presence of basal levels of Na(+) uptake in PVC, this transport was not enhanced by acidification, nor was it inhibited by independent treatment with bafilomycin (i.e., a V-type H(+)-ATPase inhibitor), phenamil (i.e., a specific inhibitor of ENaC), or Ag (a specific inhibitor of active Na(+) transport in fish). In contrast, Na(+) uptake in PNA(-) MR cells was increased by ~220% above basal levels following acidification of near 0.4 pH units in the presence of 1.0 mM external Na(+). Acid-stimulated Na(+) transport was entirely inhibited by both phenamil and bafilomycin. Silver (Ag) and copper (Cu), which are known to interfere with active Na(+) transport in fish, were also responsible for inhibiting acid stimulated Na(+) uptake in PNA(-) MR cells, but by themselves had no effect on basal Na(+) transport. Thus, we demonstrate that Ag specifically prevented acid-stimulated Na(+) uptake in PNA(-) MR cells in a dose-dependent manner. We also demonstrate rapid (<1 min) and significant inhibition of carbonic anhydrase (CA) by Ag in PNA(-) MR cells, but not in PVC. These data lend further support to the idea of a PNA(-) MR cell type as the primary site for Na(+) uptake in the freshwater (FW) gill phenotype of rainbow trout. Moreover, these findings provide support for the importance of intracellular protons in regulating the movement of Na(+) across the apical surface of the fish gill.