| Persistence of Helicobacter pylori in heterotrophic drinking-water biofilms. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 18676697 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Although the route of transmission of Helicobacter pylori remains unknown, drinking water has been considered a possible transmission vector. It has been shown previously that, in water, biofilms are a protective niche for several pathogens, protecting them from stressful conditions, such as low carbon concentration, shear stress, and less-than-optimal temperatures. In this work, the influence of these three parameters on the persistence and cultivability of H. pylori in drinking-water biofilms was studied. Autochthonous biofilm consortia were formed in a two-stage chemostat system and then inoculated with the pathogen. Total numbers of H. pylori cells were determined by microscopy using a specific H. pylori 16S rRNA peptide nucleic acid probe, whereas cultivable cells were assessed by standard plating onto selective H. pylori medium. Cultivable H. pylori could not be detected at any time point, but the ability of H. pylori cells to incorporate, undergo morphological transformations, persist, and even agglomerate in biofilms for at least 31 days without a noticeable decrease in the total cell number (on average, the concentration was between 1.54 x 10(6) and 2.25 x 10(6) cells cm(-2)) or in the intracellular rRNA content may indicate that the loss of cultivability was due to entry into a viable but noncultivable state. Unlike previous results obtained for pure-culture H. pylori biofilms, shear stress did not negatively influence the numbers of H. pylori cells attached, suggesting that the autochthonous aquatic bacteria have an important role in retaining this pathogen in the sessile state, possibly by providing suitable microaerophilic environments or linking biomolecules to which the pathogen adheres. Therefore, biofilms appear to provide not only a safe haven for H. pylori but also a concentration mechanism so that subsequent sloughing releases a concentrated bolus of cells that might be infectious and that could escape routine grab sample microbiological analyses and be a cause of concern for public health. |
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Authors:
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M S Gião; N F Azevedo; S A Wilks; M J Vieira; C W Keevil |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2008-08-01 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Applied and environmental microbiology Volume: 74 ISSN: 1098-5336 ISO Abbreviation: Appl. Environ. Microbiol. Publication Date: 2008 Oct |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2008-09-26 Completed Date: 2008-10-23 Revised Date: 2009-11-18 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7605801 Medline TA: Appl Environ Microbiol Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 5898-904 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar 4710-057, Braga, Portugal. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Biofilms* Carbon / metabolism Colony Count, Microbial Helicobacter pylori / physiology* Humans Microbial Viability RNA, Bacterial / analysis Temperature Water Microbiology* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/RNA, Bacterial; 7440-44-0/Carbon |
| Comments/Corrections | |
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