Project description:Transcriptomic analysis of the response of Photobacterium phosphoreum and Photobacterium carnosum towards co-contaminants chicken meat.
Project description:Bacterial bioluminescence is commonly found in the deep sea and depends on environmental conditions. Photobacterium phosphoreum ANT-2200 has been isolated from the NW Mediterranean Sea at 2200-m depth (in situ temperature of 13°C) close to the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on its growth and luminescence have been investigated under controlled laboratory conditions, using a specifically developed high-pressure bioluminescence system. The growth rate and the maximum population density of the strain were determined at different temperatures (from 4 to 37°C) and pressures (from 0.1 to 40 MPa), using the logistic model to define these two growth parameters. Indeed, using the growth rate only, no optimal temperature and pressure could be determined. However, when both growth rate and maximum population density were jointly taken into account, a cross coefficient was calculated. By this way, the optimum growth conditions for P. phosphoreum ANT-2200 were found to be 30°C and, 10 MPa defining this strain as mesophile and moderately piezophile. Moreover, the ratio of unsaturated vs. saturated cellular fatty acids was found higher at 22 MPa, in agreement with previously described piezophile strains. P. phosphoreum ANT-2200 also appeared to respond to high pressure by forming cell aggregates. Its maximum population density was 1.2 times higher, with a similar growth rate, than at 0.1 MPa. Strain ANT-2200 grown at 22 MPa produced 3 times more bioluminescence. The proposed approach, mimicking, as close as possible, the in situ conditions, could help studying deep-sea bacterial bioluminescence and validating hypotheses concerning its role into the carbon cycle in the deep ocean.
Project description:Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is a common strategy to selectively prevent the growth of certain species of meat spoiling bacteria. While studies on the effectiveness of MAP are still scarce on a putative control over the population of photobacteria detected as meat spoilers, they could develop means to enhance safety and quality of raw meat. This study aims to determine the impact on photobacteria of two modified atmospheres: with high oxygen concentration (red and white meats), and free oxygen MAP (white meats and seafood). We have conducted growth experiments of the two main species found on meat, Photobacterium carnosum (P.) and P. phosphoreum, on a meat simulation media under different gas mixtures of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide representing air-, high oxygen- and vacuum-like conditions with and without carbon dioxide present. Growth was monitored based on optical density, and samples were taken during exponential growth for a comparative proteomic analysis that allowed the determination of the effects of the different gases and their synergy. Growth under air atmosphere appears optimal particularly for P. carnosum, with enhancement of energy metabolism, respiration, oxygen consuming reactions, and a predicted preference for lipids as carbon source. However, all the other atmospheres show some degree of growth reduction. An increase in oxygen concentration leads to an increase in enzymes counteracting oxidative stress for both species, and enhancement of heme utilization and iron-sulfur cluster assembly proteins for P. phosphoreum. Absence of oxygen appears to switch the metabolism towards fermentative pathways, where either ribose (P. phosphoreum), or glycogen (P. carnosum) appear to be the preferred substrates. Additionally, it promotes the use of alternative electron donors/acceptors, mainly formate and nitrate/nitrite. Stress response is manifested as enhanced expression of enzymes able to produce ammonia (e.g. carbonic anhydrase, hydroxylamine reductase) and regulate osmotic stress. Our results suggest that photobacteria do not sense the environmental levels of carbon dioxide but rather adapt to their own anaerobic metabolism. The regulation in presence of carbon dioxide is limited and strain-specific under anaerobic conditions. However, when oxygen at air-like concentration is present together with carbon dioxide the oxidative stress appears enhanced compared to air conditions (very low carbon dioxide), explained if both gases have a synergistic effect. This is further supported by the increase in oxygen concentration in presence of carbon dioxide. The atmosphere is able to fully inhibit P. carnosum, heavily reduce P. phosphoreum growth in vitro and trigger diversification of energy production with higher energetic cost, highlighting the importance of concomitant bacteria for their growth on raw meat under said atmosphere.
Project description:Six luminous bacteria were isolated from migrating salmon in the Yukon River, Alaska. All isolates were identified as Photobacterium phosphoreum. Previous studies suggest that P. phosphoreum is an exclusively marine bacterium, while our Alaskan isolates are from salmon which migrated up to 1,228 km from the marine environment.
Project description:Bacterial-bioluminescence regulation is often associated with quorum sensing. Indeed, many studies have been made on this subject and indicate that the expression of the light-emission-involved genes is density dependent. However, most of these studies have concerned two model species, Aliivibrio fischeri and Vibrio campbellii. Very few works have been done on bioluminescence regulation for the other bacterial genera. Yet, according to the large variety of habitats of luminous marine bacteria, it would not be surprising to find different light-regulation systems. In this study, we used Photobacterium phosphoreum ANT-2200, a piezophilic bioluminescent strain isolated from Mediterranean deep-sea waters (2200-m depth). To answer the question of whether or not the bioluminescence of P. phosphoreum ANT-2200 is under quorum-sensing control, we focused on the correlation between growth and light emission through physiological, genomic and, transcriptomic approaches. Unlike A. fischeri and V. campbellii, the light of P. phosphoreum ANT-2200 immediately increases from its initial level. Interestingly, the emitted light increases at much higher rate at the low cell density than it does for higher cell-density values. The expression level of the light-emission-involved genes stays constant all along the exponential growth phase. We also showed that, even when more light is produced, when the strain is cultivated at high hydrostatic pressure, no change in the transcription level of these genes can be detected. Through different experiments and approaches, our results clearly indicate that, under the tested conditions, the genes, directly involved in the bioluminescence in P. phosphoreum ANT-2200, are not controlled at a transcriptomic level. Quite obviously, these results demonstrate that the light emission of the strain is not density dependent, which means not under quorum-sensing control. Through this study, we point out that bacterial-bioluminescence regulation should not, from now on, be always linked with the quorum-sensing control.
Project description:Four genes immediately downstream of luxG in the Photobacterium phosphoreum lux operon (ribEBHA) have been sequenced and shown to be involved in riboflavin synthesis. Sequence analyses and complementation of Escherichia coli riboflavin auxotrophs showed that the gene products of ribB and ribA are 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate (DHBP) synthetase and GTP cyclohydrolase II, respectively. By expression of P. phosphoreum ribE in E. coli using the bacteriophage T7 promoter-RNA polymerase system, ribE was shown to code for riboflavin synthetase, which catalyzes the conversion of lumazine to riboflavin. Increased thermal stability of RibE on expression with RibH indicated that ribH coded for lumazine synthetase. The organization of the rib genes in P. phosphoreum is quite distinct, with ribB and ribA being linked but separated by ribH, whereas in E. coli, they are unlinked and in Bacillus subtilis, RibB and RibA functions are coded by a single gene.