TY - JOUR
T1 - Stationary phase and mature infectious forms of Legionella pneumophila produce distinct viable but non-culturable cells
AU - Al-Bana, Badii H.
AU - Haddad, Moreen T.
AU - Garduño, Rafael A.
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterial parasite of freshwater protozoa and an accidental waterborne human pathogen. L.pneumophila is highly pleomorphic showing several forms that differentiate within its developmental cycle. In water, L. pneumophila produces viable but non-culturable cells (VBNCCs), which remain largely uncharacterized. We produced VBNCCs from two developmental forms of L.pneumophila [stationary phase forms (SPFs) and mature infectious forms (MIFs)] in two water microcosms [double-deionized (dd) and tap water] at 45°C. In contrast with SPFs, MIFs upheld a robust ultrastructure and high viability in the two water microcosms. In dd-water, MIFs and SPFs lost their culturability faster than in tap water and did not consume their poly-β-hydroxybutyrate inclusions. Resuscitation in Acanthamoeba castellani was only possible for VBNCCs produced from SPFs in tap water. Addition of salts to dd-water prolonged L.pneumophila culturability to tap water levels, suggesting that L.pneumophila requires ions to maintain its readiness to resume growth. VBNCCs resisted detergent lysis and digestion in the ciliate Tetrahymena, except for VBNCCs produced from SPFs in dd-water. L. pneumophilaVBNCCs thus show distinct traits according to its originating developmental form and the surrounding water microcosm.
AB - Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterial parasite of freshwater protozoa and an accidental waterborne human pathogen. L.pneumophila is highly pleomorphic showing several forms that differentiate within its developmental cycle. In water, L. pneumophila produces viable but non-culturable cells (VBNCCs), which remain largely uncharacterized. We produced VBNCCs from two developmental forms of L.pneumophila [stationary phase forms (SPFs) and mature infectious forms (MIFs)] in two water microcosms [double-deionized (dd) and tap water] at 45°C. In contrast with SPFs, MIFs upheld a robust ultrastructure and high viability in the two water microcosms. In dd-water, MIFs and SPFs lost their culturability faster than in tap water and did not consume their poly-β-hydroxybutyrate inclusions. Resuscitation in Acanthamoeba castellani was only possible for VBNCCs produced from SPFs in tap water. Addition of salts to dd-water prolonged L.pneumophila culturability to tap water levels, suggesting that L.pneumophila requires ions to maintain its readiness to resume growth. VBNCCs resisted detergent lysis and digestion in the ciliate Tetrahymena, except for VBNCCs produced from SPFs in dd-water. L. pneumophilaVBNCCs thus show distinct traits according to its originating developmental form and the surrounding water microcosm.
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U2 - 10.1111/1462-2920.12219
DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.12219
M3 - Article
C2 - 23968544
AN - SCOPUS:84892986792
SN - 1462-2912
VL - 16
SP - 382
EP - 395
JO - Environmental Microbiology
JF - Environmental Microbiology
IS - 2
ER -