The influence of growth conditions on enterocin-like production by Enterococcus faecium CWBI-B1430 and Enterococcus mundtii CWBI-B1431 isolates from artisanal Peruvian cheeses

ABSTRACT A genetic subpopulation of Enterococcus faecium, called clonal complex 17 (CC-17), is strongly associated with hospital outbreaks and invasive infections. Most CC-17 strains contain a putative pathogenicity island encoding the E. faecium variant of enterococcal surface protein (Esp). Western blotting, flow cytometric analyses, and electron microscopy showed that Esp is expressed and exposed on the surface of E. faecium, though Esp expression and surface exposure are highly varied among different strains. Furthermore, Esp expression depends on growth conditions like temperature and anaerobioses. When grown at 37°C, five of six esp-positive E. faecium strains showed significantly increased levels of surface-exposed Esp compared to bacteria grown at 21°C, which was confirmed at the transcriptional level by real-time PCR. In addition, a significant increase in surface-exposed Esp was found in half of these strains when grown at 37°C under anaerobic conditions compared to the level in bacteria grown under aerobic conditions. Finally, amounts of surface-exposed Esp correlated with initial adherence to polystyrene (R 2 = 0.7146) and biofilm formation (R 2 = 0.7535). Polystyrene adherence was competitively inhibited by soluble recombinant N-terminal Esp. This study demonstrates that Esp expression on the surface of E. faecium (i) varies consistently between strains, (ii) is growth condition dependent, and (iii) is quantitatively correlated with initial adherence and biofilm formation. These data indicate that E. faecium senses and responds to changing environmental conditions, which might play a role in the early stages of infection when bacteria transit from oxygen-rich conditions at room temperature to anaerobic conditions at body temperature. In addition, variation of surface exposure may explain the contrasting findings reported on the role of Esp in biofilm formation.

Download Full-text

Preliminary characterization of bacteriocins from Lactococcus lactis, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus mundtii strains isolated from turbot (Psetta maxima)

Food Research International ◽

10.1016/j.foodres.2005.08.008 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 356-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

Carmen A. Campos ◽

Óscar Rodríguez ◽

Pilar Calo-Mata ◽

Marta Prado ◽

Jorge Barros-Velázquez

Keyword(s):

Lactococcus Lactis ◽

Enterococcus Faecium ◽

Preliminary Characterization ◽

Enterococcus Mundtii ◽

Psetta Maxima

Download Full-text

Application of anti-listerial bacteriocins: monitoring enterocin expression by multiplex relative reverse transcription–PCR

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst20120191 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 40 (6) ◽

pp. 1544-1548 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D. Ross Williams ◽

Panagiotis Chanos

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Reverse Transcription ◽

Enterococcus Faecium ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

High Level Expression ◽

Fermentation Conditions ◽

Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽

Food Borne ◽

High Level

Listeriosis is a deadly food-borne disease, and its incidence may be limited through the biotechnological exploitation of a number of anti-listerial biocontrol agents. The most widely used of these agents are bacteriocins and the Class II enterocins are characterized by their activity against Listeria. Enterocins are primarily produced by enterococci, particularly Enterococcus faecium and many strains have been described, often encoding multiple bacteriocins. The use of these strains in food will require that they are free of virulence functions and that they exhibit a high level expression of anti-listerial enterocins in fermentation conditions. Multiplex relative RT (reverse transcription)–PCR is a technique that is useful in the discovery of advantageous expression characteristics among enterocin-producing strains. It allows the levels of individual enterocin gene expression to be monitored and determination of how expression is altered under different growth conditions.

Download Full-text

Influence of MBE Growth Conditions on Dislocation Densities of GaAs/Ge Epilayers Grown on Silicon Substrates

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100118692 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 364-365

Author(s):

K.M. Hones ◽

P. Sheldon ◽

B.G. Yacobi ◽

A. Mason

Keyword(s):

High Efficiency ◽

Lattice Mismatch ◽

Low Cost ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Nonradiative Recombination ◽

Device Structure ◽

Si Substrates ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Dislocation Densities ◽

Dislocation Type

There is increasing interest in growing epitaxial GaAs on Si substrates. Such a device structure would allow low-cost substrates to be used for high-efficiency cascade- junction solar cells. However, high-defect densities may result from the large lattice mismatch (∼4%) between the GaAs epilayer and the silicon substrate. These defects can act as nonradiative recombination centers that can degrade the optical and electrical properties of the epitaxially grown GaAs. For this reason, it is important to optimize epilayer growth conditions in order to minimize resulting dislocation densities. The purpose of this paper is to provide an indication of the quality of the epitaxially grown GaAs layers by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine dislocation type and density as a function of various growth conditions. In this study an intermediate Ge layer was used to avoid nucleation difficulties observed for GaAs growth directly on Si substrates. GaAs/Ge epilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si substrates in a manner similar to that described previously.

Download Full-text

Diffraction from arrays of antiphase boundaries in ordered III-V alloys

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100126378 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 312-313

Author(s):

T. S. Kuan

Keyword(s):

High Surface ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Ternary Alloys ◽

Local Growth ◽

Antiphase Boundaries ◽

Surface Mobility ◽

Ordered Phases ◽

Diffraction Patterns ◽

Atomically Flat ◽

Degree Of Order

Recent electron diffraction studies have found ordered phases in AlxGa1-xAs, GaAsxSb1-x, and InxGa1-xAs alloy systems, and these ordered phases are likely to be found in many other III-V ternary alloys as well. The presence of ordered phases in these alloys was detected in the diffraction patterns through the appearance of superstructure reflections between the Bragg peaks (Fig. 1). The ordered phase observed in the AlxGa1-xAs and InxGa1-xAs systems is of the CuAu-I type, whereas in GaAsxSb1-x this phase and a chalcopyrite type ordered phase can be present simultaneously. The degree of order in these alloys is strongly dependent on the growth conditions, and during the growth of these alloys, high surface mobility of the depositing species is essential for the onset of ordering. Thus, the growth on atomically flat (110) surfaces usually produces much stronger ordering than the growth on (100) surfaces. The degree of order is also affected by the presence of antiphase boundaries (APBs) in the ordered phase. As shown in Fig. 2(a), a perfectly ordered In0.5Ga0.5As structure grown along the <110> direction consists of alternating InAs and GaAs monolayers, but due to local growth fluctuations, two types of APBs can occur: one involves two consecutive InAs monolayers and the other involves two consecutive GaAs monolayers.

Download Full-text

The value of Electron Microscope studies of imperfect natural diamonds

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100174102 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 194-195

Author(s):

J C Walmsley ◽

A R Lang

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Classification Scheme ◽

Natural Diamond ◽

Sudden Change ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Diamond Growth ◽

Major Constituent ◽

Natural Diamonds ◽

Type Ia ◽

Platelet Defects

Interest in the defects and impurities in natural diamond, which are found in even the most perfect stone, is driven by the fact that diamond growth occurs at a depth of over 120Km. They display characteristics associated with their origin and their journey through the mantle to the surface of the Earth. An optical classification scheme for diamond exists based largely on the presence and segregation of nitrogen. For example type Ia, which includes 98% of all natural diamonds, contain nitrogen aggregated into small non-paramagnetic clusters and usually contain sub-micrometre platelet defects on {100} planes. Numerous transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies of these platelets and associated features have been made e.g. . Some diamonds, however, contain imperfections and impurities that place them outside this main classification scheme. Two such types are described.First, coated-diamonds which possess gem quality cores enclosed by a rind that is rich in submicrometre sized mineral inclusions. The transition from core to coat is quite sharp indicating a sudden change in growth conditions, Figure 1. As part of a TEM study of the inclusions apatite has been identified as a major constituent of the impurity present in many inclusion cavities, Figure 2.

Download Full-text

Role of the exosporial membrane in attachment and germination of C. sporogenes

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100146035 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 38-39

Author(s):

B.J. Panessa-Warren ◽

G.T. Tortora ◽

J.B. Warren

Keyword(s):

Enzymatic Degradation ◽

Light Transmission ◽

Extended Period ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Clostridium Sporogenes ◽

Radiation Chemical ◽

Physical Trauma ◽

Extended Contact ◽

Cold Pressure

Some bacteria are capable of forming highly resistant spores when environmental conditions are not adequate for growth. Depending on the genus and species of the bacterium, these endospores are resistant in varying degrees to heat, cold, pressure, enzymatic degradation, ionizing radiation, chemical sterilants,physical trauma and organic solvents. The genus Clostridium, responsible for botulism poisoning, tetanus, gas gangrene and diarrhea in man, produces endospores which are highly resistant. Although some sporocides can kill Clostridial spores, the spores require extended contact with a sporocidal agent to achieve spore death. In most clinical situations, this extended period of treatment is not possible nor practical. This investigation examines Clostridium sporogenes endospores by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy under various dormant and growth conditions, cataloging each stage in the germination and outgrowth process, and analyzing the role played by the exosporial membrane in the attachment and germination of the spore.

Download Full-text

TEM study of very thin InGaAsP layers grown by liquid-phase epitaxy

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100176496 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 672-673

Author(s):

N.A. Bert ◽

A.O. Kosogov

Keyword(s):

Liquid Phase ◽

Liquid Phase Epitaxy ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Dark Field ◽

Organic Chemical ◽

Simple Liquid ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Conventional Procedure ◽

Double Heterostructures

The very thin (<100 Å) InGaAsP layers were grown not only by molecular beam epitaxy and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition but recently also by simple liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) technique. Characterization of their thickness, interfase abruptness and lattice defects is important and requires TEM methods to be used.The samples were InGaAsP/InGaP double heterostructures grown on (111)A GaAs substrate. The exact growth conditions are described in Ref.1. The salient points are that the quarternary layers were being grown at 750°C during a fast movement of substrate and a convection caused in the melt by that movement was eliminated. TEM cross-section specimens were prepared by means of conventional procedure. The studies were conducted in EM 420T and JEM 4000EX instruments.The (200) dark-field cross-sectional imaging is the most appropriate TEM technique to distinguish between individual layers in 111-v semiconductor heterostructures.

Download Full-text