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 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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kim, T. H. Articles by Kubica, G. P. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kim, T. H. Articles by Kubica, G. P. Agricola Articles by Kim, T. H. Articles by Kubica, G. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1973 June; 25(6): 956-960
Copyright © 1973 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Preservation of Mycobacteria: 100% Viability of Suspensions Stored at -70 C

¹ Trudeau Institute, Inc., Saranac Lake, New York 12983

ABSTRACT

Our earlier studies on long-term preservation of mycobacteria have been expanded to include other species in this genus. Mycobacterium kansasii and M. marinum, like mammalian tubercle bacilli and BCG, survive much better when stored at -70 C. By statistical analysis, M. gordonae, M. scrofulaceum, M. xenopi, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. terrae, M. fortuitum, and M. smegmatis survived equally well at -20 C or -70 C; however, viable counts of all strains stored at -20 C were always lower than those of paired suspensions stored at -70 C, suggesting that the lower temperature is preferable for prolonged storage periods. Advantages of preservation at -70 C in Tween-albumin liquid medium are: (i) 100% viability of bacterial populations for long periods, (ii) highly reproducible inocula for animal experiments, (iii) minimal clonal selection of undesirable mutants, (iv) maintenance of genetic characteristics, and (v) adaptability to a "seed lot" system. On the basis of available information, a discussion of lyophilization versus freezer storage is presented.