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Effect of thermal, oxidative, acidic, osmotic, or nutritional stresses on subsequent culturability of Escherichia coli in seawater

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Abstract

Survival of stressed Escherichia coli with or without the rpoS gene was assessed after 2 and 6 days in sterile seawater. Cells were submitted to thermal (48°C), acidic (pH 5.1), oxidative (H2O2 1mm), nutritional (C, N, P starvation), or osmotic (NaCl 0.5m) stresses for periods ranging from 0 to 4 h. We found a stress-mediated cross protection against seawater relative to controls. Viability was higher when cells were acid, oxidatively, nutritionally or osmotically stressed. Survival increased in cells stressed at 37°C as compared with 20°C. With the exception of osmotic stress, we found that this stress-induced cross protection was rpoS dependent.

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Correspondence to: P.M. Munro.

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Munro, P.M., Clement, R.L., Flatau, G.N. et al. Effect of thermal, oxidative, acidic, osmotic, or nutritional stresses on subsequent culturability of Escherichia coli in seawater. Microb Ecol 27, 57–63 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170114

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170114

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