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

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
pp. 4533-4535 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Buchanan ◽  
S. G. Edelson ◽  
K. Snipes ◽  
G. Boyd

ABSTRACT 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 radiationD 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. colirecommended by the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods.

1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT L. BUCHANAN ◽  
SHARON G. EDELSON ◽  
GLENN BOYD

The effects of pH and the induction of pH-dependent stationary-phase acid resistance on the radiation resistance of Escherichia coli were determined for seven enterohemorrhagic strains and one nonenterohemorrhagic strain. The isolates were grown in acidogenic or nonacidogenic media to pH levels of approximately 4.7 and 7.2, respectively. The cells were then transferred to brain heart infusion (BHI) broth adjusted to pH 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 (with HCl) that was preequilibrated to 2°C, and cultures were then irradiated using a 137Cs source. Surviving cells and the extent of injury were determined by plating on BHI and MacConkey agars both immediately after irradiation and after subsequent storage at 2°C for 7 days. Decreasing the pH of the BHI in which E. coli was irradiated had relatively little effect on the microorganism's radiation resistance. Substantial differences in radiation resistance were noted among strains, and induction of acid resistance consistently increased radiation resistance. Comparison of E. coli levels immediately after irradiation and after 7 days of refrigerated storage suggested that irradiation enhanced pH-mediated inactivation of the pathogen. These results demonstrate that prior growth under conditions that induce a pH-dependent stationary phase cross-protects E. coli against radiation inactivation and must be taken into account when determining the microorganism's irradiation D value.


1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT L. BUCHANAN ◽  
SHARON G. EDELSON

The effect of acidulant identity on the pH-dependent stationary-phase acid resistance response of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli was studied. Nine strains of E. coli (seven O157:H7, one O111:H-, and one biotype 1 reference strain) were cultured individually for 18 h at 37°C in tryptic soy broth (TSB) plus 1% dextrose and in TSB without dextrose to yield acid resistance induced and noninduced stationary-phase cells, respectively. These cultures were then inoculated into brain heart infusion broth (BHI) supplemented with 0.5% citric, malic, lactic, or acetic acid and adjusted to pH 3.0 with HCl. The BHI tubes were incubated at 37°C for up to 7 h and samples were removed after 0, 2, 5, and 7 h and plated for counting CFU on BHI agar and MacConkey agar (MA). The results were compared to data previously obtained with HCl only. Acid resistance varied substantially among the isolates, being dependent on the strain, the acidulant, and the induction of pH-dependent acid resistance. Hydrochloric acid was consistently the least damaging to cells; lactic acid was the most detrimental. The relative activity of the other acids was strain dependent. Inducing pH-dependent acid resistance increased the already substantial acid tolerance of stationary-phase E. coli. The extent of injury also varied with acid and strain, with as much as a 5-log-cycle differential between BHI agar and MA CFU counts. The accurate determination of the survival of enterohemorrhagic E. coli in acidic foods must take into account the biological variability of the microorganism with respect to its acid resistance and its ability to enhance survival through the induction of physiological stress responses.


2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. D. BERRY ◽  
G. A. BARKOCY-GALLAGHER ◽  
G. R. SIRAGUSA

Stationary-phase acid resistance and the induction of acid resistance were assessed for recent bovine carcass isolates of Escherichia coli, including 39 serotype O157 strains and 20 non-O157 strains. When grown to stationary phase in the absence of glucose and without prior acid exposure, there was a range of responses to a pH challenge of 6 h at pH 2.5. However, populations of 53 of the 59 E. coli isolates examined were reduced by less than 2.00 log CFU/ml, and populations of 24 of these isolates were reduced by less than 1.00 log CFU/ml. In contrast, there was little variation in population reductions when the E. coli were grown with glucose and preadapted to acidic conditions. With few exceptions, acid adaptation improved survival to the acid challenge, with 57 of the 59 isolates exhibiting a log reduction of less than 0.50. Differences in acid resistance or the ability to adapt to acidic conditions between E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 commensal E. coli were not observed. However, we did find that the E. coli O157 were disposed to greater acid injury after the low pH challenge than the non-O157 E. coli, both for cells that were and were not adapted to acidic conditions before the challenge. The enhancement of low pH survival after acid adaptation that was seen among these recent natural isolates of E. coli O157 further supports the idea that the previous environment of this pathogen should be a consideration when designing microbial safety strategies for foods preserved by low pH and acid.


2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 1231-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELENA ENACHE ◽  
EMILY C. MATHUSA ◽  
PHILIP H. ELLIOTT ◽  
D. GLENN BLACK ◽  
YUHUAN CHEN ◽  
...  

The purpose of the present study was to determine the heat resistance of six non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotypes in comparison to E. coli O157:H7 in single-strength apple juice without pulp. The thermal parameters for stationary-phase and acid-adapted cells of E. coli strains from serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157:H7 were determined by using an immersed coil apparatus. The most heat-sensitive serotype in the present study was O26. Stationary-phase cells for serotypes O145, O121, and O45 had the highest D56°C-value among the six non-O157 serotypes studied, although all were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that of E. coli O157:H7. At 60°C E. coli O157:H7 and O103 demonstrated the highest D-values (1.37 ± 0.23 and 1.07 ± 0.03 min, respectively). The D62°C for the most heat-resistant strain belonging to the serotype O145 was similar (P > 0.05) to that for the most resistant O157:H7 strain (0.61 ± 0.17 and 0.60 ± 0.09 min, respectively). The heat resistance for stationary-phase cells was generally equal to or higher than that of acid-adapted counterparts. Although E. coli O157:H7 revealed D-values similar to or higher than the individual six non-O157 STEC serotypes in apple juice, the z-values for most non-O157 STEC tested strains were greater than those of E. coli O157:H7. When data were used to calculate heat resistance parameters at a temperature recommended in U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance to industry, the D71.1°C for E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC serotypes were not significantly different (P > 0.05).


1980 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-424
Author(s):  
Zvi Bar-Shavit ◽  
Rachel Goldman ◽  
Itzhak Ofek ◽  
Nathan Sharon ◽  
David Mirelman

Recently, it was suggested that a mannose-specific lectin on the bacterial cell surface is responsible for the recognition by phagocytic cells of certain nonopsonized Escherichia coli strains. In this study we assessed the interaction of two strains of E. coli at different phases of growth with a monolayer of mouse peritoneal macrophages and developed a direct method with [ 14 C]mannan to quantitate the bacterial mannose-binding activity. Normal-sized bacteria were obtained from logarithmic and stationary phases of growth. Nonseptated filamentous cells were formed by growing the organisms in the presence of cephalexin or at a restrictive temperature. Attachment to macrophages of all bacterial forms was inhibited by methyl α- d -mannoside and mannan but not by other sugars tested. The attachment of stationary phase and filamentous bacteria to macrophages, as well as their mannose-binding activity, was similar, whereas in the exponential-phase bacteria they were markedly reduced. The results show a linear relation between the two parameters ( R = 0.98, P < 0.001). The internalization of the filamentous cells attached to macrophages during 45 min of incubation was much less efficient (20%) compared to that of exponential-phase, stationary-phase, or antibody-coated filamentous bacteria (90%). The results indicate that the mannose-binding activity of E. coli determines the recognition of the organisms by phagocytes. They further suggest that administration of β-lactam antibiotics may impair elimination of certain pathogenic bacteria by inducing the formation of filaments which are inefficiently internalized by the host's phagocytic cells.


2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 1895-1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
MANOJ KUMAR MOHAN NAIR ◽  
HANEM ABOUELEZZ ◽  
THOMAS HOAGLAND ◽  
KUMAR VENKITANARAYANAN

The antibacterial effect of low concentrations of monocaprylin on Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple juice was investigated. Apple juice alone (control) or containing 2.5 mM (0.055%) or 5 mM monocaprylin was inoculated with a five-strain mixture of E. coli O157:H7 at ~6.0 log CFU/ml. The juice samples were stored at 23 or 4°C for 14 or 21 days, respectively, and the population of E. coli O157:H7 was determined on tryptic soy agar plates supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract. At both storage temperatures, the population of E. coli O157:H7 in monocaprylin-supplemented juice samples was significantly lower (P &lt; 0.05) than that in the control samples. The concentration of monocaprylin and the storage temperature had a significant effect on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice. Monocaprylin at 5 mM was significantly more effective than 2.5 mM monocaprylin for killing E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice. Inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 by monocaprylin was more pronounced in juice stored at 23°C than in the refrigerated samples. Results of this study indicated that monocaprylin is effective for killing E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice, but detailed sensory studies are needed to determine the organoleptic properties of apple juice containing monocaprylin.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Yohannes ◽  
D. Michael Barnhart ◽  
Joan L. Slonczewski

ABSTRACT During aerobic growth of Escherichia coli, expression of catabolic enzymes and envelope and periplasmic proteins is regulated by pH. Additional modes of pH regulation were revealed under anaerobiosis. E. coli K-12 strain W3110 was cultured anaerobically in broth medium buffered at pH 5.5 or 8.5 for protein identification on proteomic two-dimensional gels. A total of 32 proteins from anaerobic cultures show pH-dependent expression, and only four of these proteins (DsbA, TnaA, GatY, and HdeA) showed pH regulation in aerated cultures. The levels of 19 proteins were elevated at the high pH; these proteins included metabolic enzymes (DhaKLM, GapA, TnaA, HisC, and HisD), periplasmic proteins (ProX, OppA, DegQ, MalB, and MglB), and stress proteins (DsbA, Tig, and UspA). High-pH induction of the glycolytic enzymes DhaKLM and GapA suggested that there was increased fermentation to acids, which helped neutralize alkalinity. Reporter lac fusion constructs showed base induction of sdaA encoding serine deaminase under anaerobiosis; in addition, the glutamate decarboxylase genes gadA and gadB were induced at the high pH anaerobically but not with aeration. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a connection between the gad system and GabT metabolism of 4-aminobutanoate. On the other hand, 13 other proteins were induced by acid; these proteins included metabolic enzymes (GatY and AckA), periplasmic proteins (TolC, HdeA, and OmpA), and redox enzymes (GuaB, HmpA, and Lpd). The acid induction of NikA (nickel transporter) is of interest because E. coli requires nickel for anaerobic fermentation. The position of the NikA spot coincided with the position of a small unidentified spot whose induction in aerobic cultures was reported previously; thus, NikA appeared to be induced slightly by acid during aeration but showed stronger induction under anaerobic conditions. Overall, anaerobic growth revealed several more pH-regulated proteins; in particular, anaerobiosis enabled induction of several additional catabolic enzymes and sugar transporters at the high pH, at which production of fermentation acids may be advantageous for the cell.


2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (21) ◽  
pp. 6466-6477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Kirkpatrick ◽  
Lisa M. Maurer ◽  
Nikki E. Oyelakin ◽  
Yuliya N. Yoncheva ◽  
Russell Maurer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Acetate and formate are major fermentation products ofEscherichia coli. Below pH 7, the balance shifts to lactate; an oversupply of acetate or formate retards growth. E. coli W3110 was grown with aeration in potassium-modified Luria broth buffered at pH 6.7 in the presence or absence of added acetate or formate, and the protein profiles were compared by two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Acetate increased the steady-state expression levels of 37 proteins, including periplasmic transporters for amino acids and peptides (ArtI, FliY, OppA, and ProX), metabolic enzymes (YfiD and GatY), the RpoS growth phase regulon, and the autoinducer synthesis protein LuxS. Acetate repressed 17 proteins, among them phosphotransferase (Pta). An ackA-pta deletion, which nearly eliminates interconversion between acetate and acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA), led to elevated basal levels of 16 of the acetate-inducible proteins, including the RpoS regulon. Consistent with RpoS activation, the ackA-pta strain also showed constitutive extreme-acid resistance. Formate, however, repressed 10 of the acetate-inducible proteins, including the RpoS regulon. Ten of the proteins with elevated basal levels in the ackA-ptastrain were repressed by growth of the mutant with formate; thus, the formate response took precedence over the loss of theackA-pta pathway. The similar effects of exogenous acetate and the ackA-pta deletion, and the opposite effect of formate, could have several causes; one possibility is that the excess buildup of acetyl-CoA upregulates stress proteins but excess formate depletes acetyl-CoA and downregulates these proteins.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (18) ◽  
pp. 6179-6185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Lease ◽  
Dorie Smith ◽  
Kathleen McDonough ◽  
Marlene Belfort

ABSTRACT DsrA RNA is a small (87-nucleotide) regulatory RNA of Escherichia coli that acts by RNA-RNA interactions to control translation and turnover of specific mRNAs. Two targets of DsrA regulation are RpoS, the stationary-phase and stress response sigma factor (σs), and H-NS, a histone-like nucleoid protein and global transcription repressor. Genes regulated globally by RpoS and H-NS include stress response proteins and virulence factors for pathogenic E. coli. Here, by using transcription profiling via DNA arrays, we have identified genes induced by DsrA. Steady-state levels of mRNAs from many genes increased with DsrA overproduction, including multiple acid resistance genes of E. coli. Quantitative primer extension analysis verified the induction of individual acid resistance genes in the hdeAB, gadAX, and gadBC operons. E. coli K-12 strains, as well as pathogenic E. coli O157:H7, exhibited compromised acid resistance in dsrA mutants. Conversely, overproduction of DsrA from a plasmid rendered the acid-sensitive dsrA mutant extremely acid resistant. Thus, DsrA RNA plays a regulatory role in acid resistance. Whether DsrA targets acid resistance genes directly by base pairing or indirectly via perturbation of RpoS and/or H-NS is not known, but in either event, our results suggest that DsrA RNA may enhance the virulence of pathogenic E. coli.


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