Lecture Outline

Bacterial Growth



1. Cell division (an asexual process):

2. Methods to monitor growth. See sections 6.9-6.11

3. Ways to grow prokaryotes in laboratory:

4. Classifying organisms by their carbon, energy, and source of protons/electrons allows identification of 4 major nutritional groups using this information. See Table 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3

5. Types of Media.

6. Factors that effect growth.

 revised 9/24/09

Binary fission:

 

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Source of Carbon, Energy, and Protons/Electrons

Carbon Source

Autotrophs

CO2 sole or principal biosynthetic carbon source.

Heterotrophs

Reduced, preformed, organic molecules.

Energy Source

Phototrophs

Light

Chemotrophs

Oxidation of organic or inorganic compounds

Proton and/or Electron source

Lithotrophs

Reduced inorganic molecules

Organotrophs

Organic molecules

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Major Nutritional Groups of Microorganisms
Major Nutritional Type
Source of Energy, Protons/Electrons and Carbon
Representative Organisms

Photolithotrophic autotrophy

light energy

Algae, cyanobacteria, and

inorganic H+/e- donor

purple and green bacteria

CO2 carbon source

Photoorganotrophic heterotrophy

light energy source

Purple and green and non sulfur bacteria

Organic H+/e-

organic carbon source (CO2 may also be used)

Chemolithotrophic autotrophy

Chemical energy (inorganic)

Sulfur-oxidizing, hydrogen,

Inorganic H+/e- donor

nitrifying, iron bacteria, etc.

CO2 carbon source

Chemoorganotrophic heterotrophs

Chemical energy (organic)

Protozoa, fungi, and the

Organic H+/e- donor

non photosynthetic bacteria

Organic carbon source

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Methods to Determine Bacterial Growth:

A. Determination of cell number:

1. Total cell count methods:
a. Direct microscopic count- See fig. 6.14
Advantages- quick and easy

disadvantages- can not distinguish between live and dead cells, and can not detect less than 106 bacteria/ml.

b. Coulter count (electronic count):

Advantages- very quick and easy

Disadvantages- same as above plus can end up counting dust and debris. Apparatus very expensive.

2. Viable cell count method: See fig. 6.15 and 6.16

Rationale, a single cell will give rise to a colony of cells that is visible to eye. By determining the number of colonies on a plate and the volume of liquid they were in (amount plated), can determine number of cells/ml. However, when have more than 300 colonies on plate they become to numerous to count. This is addressed by making a series of dilutions (will be held for 1:10 and 1:100 dilutions. For example 0.1ml in 0.9ml of a sterile diluent is a 1:10 dilution or a 10-1 dilution). The amount plated can be 1ml or 0.1ml. To determine the number of bacteria in a sample, count the number of colonies (want between 30-300), multiply times one over the total dilution, times one over the amount plated: equation to use is:

# of bacteria/ml = number of colonies counted X 1/dilution X 1/sample plated

advantages- can count as few as 1 bacterium/ml, and only count live cells.

disadvantages- requires time for growth, may need to make dilutions of preparation and make dilution calculations (examples). Also,cells that clump or remain in groups that do not seperate, i.e., chains, will give a number that underestimates the number of viable cells present.

B. Determination of cell mass-

1. dry weight determination:
advantages- only way to determine growth of filamentous bacteria.

disadvantages- cumbersome and not very accurate. If cell numbers important must relate weight to cell numbers if possible.

2. Turbidity (measured by photometer or a spectrophotometer): What is the basis of this method to monitor cell growth? See fig. 6.17

advantages- rapid and easy

disadvantages- does not give you cell numbers or increase in mass (must correlate turbidity, cloudiness, to cell numbers by the direct or viable cell count method), can not distinguish between live and dead cells, and must work within certain turbidity's (more than 107 and less than 108 bacteria/ml).

C. Determination of cell constituents- measure increase in a specific cell material, i.e., DNA, RNA, Protein, or etc.

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Dilution Problems:

Equation to use: no. of bacteria/ml in original sample = no. of colonies on plate X 1/total dilution X 1/ volume sample plated.

1. You are interested in determining the number of bacteria in saliva. You spit into a tube, and then do four 1:10 dilution's. From the last dilution tube you plate 1.0 ml onto an appropriate medium, and observe 100 colonies on the agar surface after overnight growth. How many bacteria are present in the original sample?

2. A friend of yours tells you that there should be no bacteria in hamburger meat, and having had micro you say not true. To show him/her you do the following: You take 1 gram of meat and blend it in 100 ml of sterile water. You then do the following dilution: 1:10, 1:100, 1:10, and a 1:100. You then take 0.1ml from the last dilution, and plate onto an appropriate medium, and find that after 18 hours of growth that there are 125 colonies on the plate. How many bacteria were present in the original sample, per ml of blended material and per gram of hamburger meat?

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Toxic forms of oxygen:

Toxic Forms of oxygen (in order of decreasing toxicity
Name
Formula
Generated by
Destroyed

Ozone

O3

irradiation of O2 by UV or high voltage discharge

fluorocarbons

hydroxyl radical

OH.

H2O2 + O2- (x-rays, gamma rays)**

Spontaneously, very unstable

Superoxide

O2-

enzymatically (flavins and quinones)

superoxide dismutase (SOD)

Hydrogen peroxide

H2O2

enzymatically (flavoproteins)

catalase or peroxidase

singlet oxygen

1O2

enzymatically or chemically (smog, light)**

reaction with carotenoid pigments

** Catalysts

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Requirement/sensitive to toxic forms of oxygen and presence of SOD and/or catalase/peroxidase:

Enzyme Content of Bacteria With Different Requirements (sensitivities) for Oxygen
Name
Enzyme Content for O2 detoxification
Strict aerobe
catalase

2 H2O2 ---> 2 H2O + O2

or Peroxidase

H2O2 + NADH + H+ ---> 2 H2O + NAD+

and superoxide dismutase

2 O2- + 2H+ --> O2 + H2O2

Facultative anaerobe
catalase and Superoxide dismutase
Strick anaerobe
lack catalase and superoxide dismutase
Microaerophile
small amounts of catalase and superoxide dismutase
Aerotolerant
superoxide dismutase

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