This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Byrd, J J Articles by Colwell, R R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Byrd, J J Articles by Colwell, R R Agricola Articles by Byrd, J J Articles by Colwell, R R

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 July; 56(7): 2104-2107

Maintenance of plasmids pBR322 and pUC8 in nonculturable Escherichia coli in the marine environment.

Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742.

ABSTRACT

Maintenance of plasmids pBR322 and pUC8 in Escherichia coli that was nonculturable after exposure to seawater was studied. E. coli JM83 and JM101, which contained plasmids pBR322 and pUC8, respectively, were placed in sterile artificial seawater for 21 days. Culturability was determined by plating on both nonselective and selective agar, and plasmid maintenance was monitored by direct isolation of plasmid nucleic acid from bacteria collected on Sterivex filters. E. coli JM83 became nonculturable after incubation for 6 days in seawater yet maintained plasmid pBR322 for the entire period of the study, i.e., 21 days. E. coli JM101 was nonculturable after incubation in seawater for 21 days and also maintained plasmid pUC8 throughout the duration of the microcosm experiment. Direct counts of bacterial cells did not change significantly during exposure to seawater, even though plate counts yielded no viable (i.e., platable) cells. We concluded that E. coli cells are capable of maintaining high-copy-number plasmids, even when no longer culturable, after exposure to the estuarine or marine environment.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kim, W. S., Park, J. H., Ren, J., Su, P., Dunn, N. W. (2001). Survival Response and Rearrangement of Plasmid DNA of Lactococcus lactis during Long-Term Starvation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4594-4602 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cappelier, J. M., Minet, J., Magras, C., Colwell, R. R., Federighi, M. (1999). Recovery in Embryonated Eggs of Viable but Nonculturable Campylobacter jejuni Cells and Maintenance of Ability To Adhere to HeLa Cells after Resuscitation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 5154-5157 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bogosian, G., Morris, P. J. L., O'Neil, J. P. (1998). A Mixed Culture Recovery Method Indicates that Enteric Bacteria Do Not Enter the Viable but Nonculturable State. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1736-1742 [Abstract] [Full Text]