Uptake of UVc induced photoproducts of dipicolinic acid by Bacillus subtilis spores - Effects on the germination and UVc resistance of the spores.

Dipicolinic acid (DPA) is a specific molecule of bacterial spores which is essential to their resistance to various stresses such as ultraviolet (UV) exposure and to their germination. DPA has a particular photochemistry that remains imperfectly understood. In particular, due to its ability to absorb UVc radiation, it is likely to form in vitro a wide variety of photoproducts (DPAp) of which only about ten have been recently identified. The photochemical reactions resulting in DPAp, especially those inside the spores, are still poorly understood. Only one of these DPAp, which probably acts as a photosensitizer of DNA upon exposure to UVc, has been identified as having an impact on spores. However, as UVc is required to form DPAp, it is difficult to decouple the overall effect of UVc exposure from the possible effects of DPAp alone. In this study, DPAp were artificially introduced into the spores of the FB122 mutant strain of Bacillus subtilis, one that does not produce DPA. These experiments revealed that some DPAp may play a positive role for the spore. These benefits are visible in an improvement in spore germination rate and kinetics, as well as in an increase in their resistance to UVc exposure.

Effects of pulsed near infrared light (NIR) on Bacillus subtilis spores.

In this study, we develop a characterization of bacterial spore resistance to NIR pulsed light under modalities traditionally used in multiphoton microscopy. Energy dose and laser power are both key parameters in spore and bacterial cell inactivation. Surprisingly, spores and vegetative cells seem to show a similar sensitivity to pulsed NIR, spores being only 2-fold more resistant than their vegetative counterparts. This work enables us to eliminate certain hypotheses concerning the main driver of spore inactivation processes. Our findings suggest that damage leading to inactivation is mainly caused by photochemical reactions characterized by multiple possible pathways, including DNA damage or oxidation processes.

Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis using thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT-scan assessing the vertebral density in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Screening for osteoporosis is crucial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the value of thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT-derived bone mineral density (BMD) results in L1, compared to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) results for osteoporosis screening in rheumatoid arthritis patients. METHODS: Consecutive RA patients who underwent a CT-scan and DXA within a 2-year period were retrospectively included. The CT sagittal images were then evaluated for vertebral fractures from T4 to L5 using the Genant classification. The CT-attenuation values (in Hounsfield units (HU)) of trabecular bone in L1 were measured on axial images and compared to the DXA results. RESULTS: This study included 105 patients (mean age 61.1 years (± 9.5), 78.1% women). There were 28 patients (26.7%) with DXA-defined osteoporosis and 32 (30%) with osteoporotic fractures (vertebral and/or non-vertebral). The CT assessment indicated that the mean (SD) vertebral L1 attenuation was 142.2 HU (± 18.5). The diagnostic performance for the vertebral CT-attenuation measurement was acceptable: the AUC was 0.67 for predicting osteoporotic fractures and of 0.69 for predicting vertebral fractures. Among patients with osteoporotic fractures, there were 23 (74%) patients categorized as osteoporotic with a L1 CT-attenuation of 135 HU or less, whereas there were only 13 patients (42%) identified by DXA. CONCLUSION: CT offers a combined opportunistic screening for osteoporosis by assessing both vertebral fractures and bone density on routine CT-scans. This approach may be particularly interesting for RA patients with a high osteoporosis risk.

Cryopreservation of Escherichia coli K12TG1: protection from the damaging effects of supercooling by freezing.

Injuries in living cells caused by water freezing during a freeze-thaw process have been extensively reported. In particular, intracellular water freezing has long been incriminated in cell death caused by a high cooling rate, but this supposition could not always be demonstrated. This work aims to discriminate the role of water freezing, dehydration and cold-induced injuries in cellular damage occuring during cryopreservation. For this purpose, Escherichia coli K12TG1 suspensions were maintained in a supercooled or frozen state at -20°C for times ranging from 10 min to 5 h. The supercooled state was maintained for a long period at -20°C by applying a non-injurious isostatic pressure (P<40 MPa). Next, viability and membrane damage were determined by agar plating and fluorescence staining with propidium iodide and bis-oxonol. It was clear that keeping the cell suspensions in the supercooled state had a detrimental effect on both viability and plasma membrane permeability. Conversely, when cells were subjected to cold stress by freezing, the survival rate remained high throughout the experiment, and the cell membranes suffered little damage. Moreover, cells subjected to 5h of osmotic treatments at -20°C, conditions that mimic cryoconcentration upon freezing, and subsequently diluted and thawed suffered little damage. Dehydration due to cryoconcentration upon freezing protects the cells against the deleterious effects of supercooling, especially in the plasma membranes. The decrease in membrane leakage upon dehydration at low temperatures could be linked to differences in the gel state of the membrane revealed by a higher Laurdan general polarization (GP) value.

High gas pressure: an innovative method for the inactivation of dried bacterial spores.

In this article, an original non-thermal process to inactivate dehydrated bacterial spores is described. The use of gases such as nitrogen or argon as transmission media under high isostatic pressure led to an inactivation of over 2 logs CFU/g of Bacillus subtilis spores at 430 MPa, room temperature, for a 1 min treatment. A major requirement for the effectiveness of the process resided in the highly dehydrated state of the spores. Only a water activity below 0.3 led to substantial inactivation. The solubility of the gas in the lipid components of the spore and its diffusion properties was essential to inactivation. The main phenomenon involved seems to be the sorption of the gas under pressure by the spores' structures such as residual pores and plasma membranes, followed by a sudden drop in pressure. Observation by phase-contrast microscopy suggests that internal structures have been affected by the treatment. Some parallels with polymer permeability to gas and rigidity at various water activities offer a few clues about the behavior of the outer layers of spores in response to this parameter and provide a good explanation for the sensitivity of spores to high gas pressure discharge at low hydration levels. Specificity of microorganisms such as size, organization, and composition could help in understanding the differences between spores and yeast regarding the parameters required for inactivation, such as pressure or maintenance time.

High gas pressure effects on yeast.

Dried microorganisms are particularly resistant to high hydrostatic pressure effects. However, exposure to high pressures of nitrogen proved to be effective in inactivating dried yeasts. In this study, we tried to elucidate this mechanism on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. High-pressure treatments were performed using different inert gases at 150 MPa and 25 degrees C with holding time values up to 12 months. The influence of cell hydration was also investigated. For fully hydrated cells, pressurized gases had little specific effect: cell inactivation was mainly due to compression effects. However, dried cells were sensitive to high pressure of gases. In this latter case, two inactivation kinetics were observed. For holding time up to 1 h, the inactivation rate increased to 4 log and was linked to a loss of membrane integrity and the presence of damage on the cell wall. In such case cell inactivation would be due to gas sorption and desorption phenomena which would rupture dried cells during a fast pressure release. Gas sorption would occur in cell lipid phases. For longer holding times, the inactivation rate increased more slightly due to compression effects and/or to a slower gas sorption. Water therefore played a key role in cell sensitivity to fast gas pressure release. Two hypotheses were proposed to explain this phenomenon: the rigidity of vitrified dried cells and the presence of glassy solid phases which would favor intracellular gas expansion. Our results showed that dried microorganisms can be ruptured and inactivated by a fast pressure release with gases.

High-pressure inactivation of dried microorganisms.

Dried microorganisms are particularly resistant to high hydrostatic pressure effects. In this study, the survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied under pressure applied in different ways. Original processes and devices were purposely developed in our laboratory for long-term pressurization. Dried and wet yeast powders were submitted to high-pressure treatments (100-150 MPa for 24-144 h at 25 degrees C) through liquid media or inert gas. These powders were also pressurized after being vacuum-packed. In the case of wet yeasts, the pressurization procedure had little influence on the inactivation rate. In this case, inactivations were mainly due to hydrostatic pressure effects. Conversely, in the case of dried yeasts, inactivation was highly dependent on the treatment scheme. No mortality was observed when dried cells were pressurized in a non-aqueous liquid medium, but when nitrogen gas was used as the pressure-transmitting fluid, the inactivation rate was found to be between 1.5 and 2 log for the same pressure level and holding time. Several hypotheses were formulated to explain this phenomenon: the thermal effects induced by the pressure variations, the drying resulting from the gas pressure release and the sorption and desorption of the gas in cells. The highest inactivation rates were obtained with vacuum-packed dried yeasts. In this case, cell death occurred during the pressurization step and was induced by shear forces. Our results show that the mechanisms at the origin of cell death under pressure are strongly dependent on the nature of the pressure-transmitting medium and the hydration of microorganisms.

Pressure-induced shape change of phospholipid vesicles: implication of compression and phase transition.

A microscopic study has allowed the analysis of modifications of various shapes acquired by phospholipid vesicles during a hydrostatic pressure treatment of up to 300 MPa. Giant vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / phosphatidylserine (DMPC/PS) prepared at 40 degrees C mainly presented a shape change resembling budding during pressure release. This comportment was reinforced by the incorporation of 1,2-dioleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) or by higher temperature (60 degrees C) processing. The thermotropic main phase transition (L alpha to P beta') of the different vesicles prepared was determined under pressure through a spectrofluorimetric study of 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylamino-naphtalene (Laurdan) incorporated into the vesicles' bilayer. This analysis was performed by microfluorescence observation of single vesicles. The phase transition was found to begin at about 80 MPa and 120 MPa for DMPC/PS vesicles at, respectively, 40 degrees C and 60 degrees C. At 60 degrees C the liquid-to-gel transition phase was not complete within 250 MPa. Addition of DMPE at 40 degrees C does not significantly shift the onset boundary of the phase transition but extends the transition region. At 40 degrees C, the gel phase was obtained at, respectively, 110 MPa and 160 MPa for DMPC/PS and DMPC/PS/DOPE vesicles. In comparing volume data obtained from image analysis and Laurdan signal, we assume the shape change is a consequence of the difference between lateral compressibility of the membrane and bulk water. The phase transition contributes to the membrane compression but seems not necessary to induce shape change of vesicles. The high compressibility of the L alpha phase at 60 degrees C allows induction on DMPC/PS vesicles of a morphological transition without phase change.

Pressure-temperature phase transition diagram for wheat starch.

Wheat starch suspensions in water (5% dry matter) were subjected to various pressures (0.1-600 MPa) and temperatures (-20 to 96 degrees C) for 15 min. The gelatinization rate was measured after treatment by using microscopic measurements of the loss of birefringence of the granules. This method was previously calibrated by differential scanning calorimetry. Curves of isogelatinization were found to be quite similar to a pressure-temperature (P-T) diagram of unfolding proteins. Results were first analyzed by considering the thermodynamic aspects related to the dT/dP curve shifts. On the basis of equations already shown for proteins, the P-T gelatinization diagram of wheat starch would show different kinds of thermal contributions, suggesting endothermic, athermic, or exothermic melting reactions. Second, as a practical consequence, these previous P-T areas corresponded to specific gelatinization conditions as confirmed by hydration evaluation measured by starch swelling index. Depending on the pressure-temperature conditions, gelatinization would involve hydration. Lowering the pressure and temperature resulted in a complete gelatinization with less hydration in comparison with a thermal treatment at atmospheric pressure. A hydration model based on an energetic approach was proposed.

Amyloglucosidase hydrolysis of high-pressure and thermally gelatinized corn and wheat starches.

The study of glucose production using amyloglucosidase as a biocatalyst was carried out using high-pressure and thermally gelatinized corn and wheat starches. For corn starch, the measured initial rate of glucose production obtained from thermal gelatinization is faster than that obtained from the two high-pressure treatments, but the equilibrium yield of glucose was found to be similar for the three treatments. High-pressure treatments of wheat starch significantly improve the equilibrium yield of glucose compared with those obtained from the thermally gelatinized wheat starch. This difference has been related to the formation of amylose-lipid complexes during heating and could also explain previous physicochemical differences observed between high-pressure and thermally gelatinized starch.

Yeast cell mortality related to a high-pressure shift: occurrence of cell membrane permeabilization.

The shrinkage of yeast cells caused by high-pressure treatment (250 MPa, 15 min) was investigated using direct microscopic observation. A viable staining method after treatment allowed the volume variation of two populations to be distinguished: an irreversible volume decrease (about 35% of the initial volume) of pressure-inactivated cells during pressure holding time, and viable cells, which were less affected. A mass transfer was then induced during high-pressure treatment. Causes of this transfer seem to be related to a pressure-induced membrane permeabilization, allowing a subsequent leakage of internal solutes, where three ions (Na+, K+ and Ca2+), plus endogenous glycerol, were verified. This glycerol leakage was found to occur after yeast pressurization in a medium having low water activity, although the yeast was not inactivated. All these observations lead to the hypothesis that pressure-induced cell permeabilization could be the cause of yeast inactivation under pressure.

Shape modification of phospholipid vesicles induced by high pressure: influence of bilayer compressibility.

Giant vesicles composed of pure egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EYPC) or containing cholesterol (28 mol%) have been studied during a high hydrostatic pressure treatment to 285 MPa by microscopic observation. During pressure loading the vesicles remain spherical. A shape transition consisting of budding only occurs on the cholesterol-free vesicles during pressure release. The decrease in the volume delimited by the pure EYPC bilayer between 0.1 and 285 MPa was found to be 16% of its initial volume, whereas the bulk compression of water in this pressure range is only 10%. So the compression at 285 MPa induced a water exit from the pure EYPC vesicle. The shape transition of the EYPC vesicle during pressure release is attributed to an increase in its area-to-volume ratio caused by the loss of its water content during compression. Because bulk compression of the cholesterol-containing vesicle is close to that of water, no water transfer would be induced across the bilayer and the vesicle remains spherical during the pressure release.

A new design intended to relate high pressure treatment to yeast cell mass transfer.

A new optical device has been developed to allow the observation of microorganisms during a high pressure treatment up to 700 MPa. To measure cell volume variation during the high pressure application, an image analysis system was connected with the light microscope. With this device, growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied at moderate pressure (10 MPa) through the observation of individual cell budding. Cell volume variations were also measured on the yeast Saccharomycopsis fibuligera on fixed cells as well on a population sample and a shrinkage in average cell volume was observed consequently to a pressure increase of 250 MPa. The observed compression rate (25%) under pressure and the partial irreversibility of cell compression (10%) after return to atmospheric pressure lead to the conclusion that a mass transfer between cell and cultivation medium occurred. The causes of this transfer could be explained by a modification of membrane properties, i.e., disruption or increase in permeability.