Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE13711: Comparative transcriptome and phenotype analysis of acid-stressed Bacillus cereus strain ATCC 14579 GSE13729: Comparative transcriptome and phenotype analysis of acid-stressed Bacillus cereus strain ATCC 10987 Refer to individual Series
Project description:Planktonic and biofilm cells of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987 were studied using microscopy and transcriptome analysis. By microscopy, clear differences could be observed between biofilm and planktonic cells as well as between the two strains. By using hierarchical clustering of the transcriptome data, little difference was observed between the biofilm cells of B. cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987. Different responses between biofilm and planktonic cells could be identified using transcriptome analysis. Biofilm formation seemed to cause a shift in metabolism with up- or down-regulation of genes involved in different metabolic pathways. Genes involved in motility were down-regulated. No clear up-regulation related to capsular or extracellular polysaccharides was observed. Sporulation was observed in biofilm cells using microscopy, which was corroborated with up-regulation of genes involved in sporulation in biofilm cells. The results obtained in this study provide insight in general and strain specific behavior of B. cereus cells in multicellular communities.
Project description:Planktonic and biofilm cells of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987 were studied using microscopy and transcriptome analysis. By microscopy, clear differences could be observed between biofilm and planktonic cells as well as between the two strains. By using hierarchical clustering of the transcriptome data, little difference was observed between the biofilm cells of B. cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987. Different responses between biofilm and planktonic cells could be identified using transcriptome analysis. Biofilm formation seemed to cause a shift in metabolism with up- or down-regulation of genes involved in different metabolic pathways. Genes involved in motility were down-regulated. No clear up-regulation related to capsular or extracellular polysaccharides was observed. Sporulation was observed in biofilm cells using microscopy, which was corroborated with up-regulation of genes involved in sporulation in biofilm cells. The results obtained in this study provide insight in general and strain specific behavior of B. cereus cells in multicellular communities.
Project description:The food-borne human pathogen Bacillus cereus is found in environments that often have a low pH, such as food and soil. The physiological response upon exposure to several levels of acidity were investigated of B. cereus model strain ATCC 10987, to elucidate the response of B. cereus to acid stress. pH 5.4, pH 5.0, pH 4.8 and pH 4.5 were selected to conduct microarray analyses, based on the differences in physiological response upon exposure to the acid conditions. The transcriptome data revealed response specific profiles. Showing mechanisms induced upon all the different acid down-shocks, such as nitrate reductase and energy production genes, and several genes specifically expressed differentially in mild or lethal levels of acidity, such as F1F0-ATPase and cydAB. Furthermore, mechanisms involved in oxidative stress response were found highly up-regulated in response to both mild and lethal acid stress. The induction of oxidative stress related genes may be a response to the formation of reactive oxygen species by a perturbation of the electron transport chain. Therefore, the formation of hydroxyl radicals and/ or peroxynitrite was monitored upon exposure to the different levels of acidity with a fluorescent probe in a flow cytometer. The formation of these oxidative compounds was shown to be specific for lethal pHs and a model to relate radical formation with the observed transcriptome profiles was proposed.
Project description:The food-borne human pathogen Bacillus cereus is found in environments that often have a low pH, such as food and soil. The physiological response upon exposure to several levels of acidity were investigated of B. cereus model strain ATCC 10987, to elucidate the response of B. cereus to acid stress. pH 5.4, pH 5.0, pH 4.8 and pH 4.5 were selected to conduct microarray analyses, based on the differences in physiological response upon exposure to the acid conditions. The transcriptome data revealed response specific profiles. Showing mechanisms induced upon all the different acid down-shocks, such as nitrate reductase and energy production genes, and several genes specifically expressed differentially in mild or lethal levels of acidity, such as F1F0-ATPase and cydAB. Furthermore, mechanisms involved in oxidative stress response were found highly up-regulated in response to both mild and lethal acid stress. The induction of oxidative stress related genes may be a response to the formation of reactive oxygen species by a perturbation of the electron transport chain. Therefore, the formation of hydroxyl radicals and/ or peroxynitrite was monitored upon exposure to the different levels of acidity with a fluorescent probe in a flow cytometer. The formation of these oxidative compounds was shown to be specific for lethal pHs and a model to relate radical formation with the observed transcriptome profiles was proposed. Per acid down-shock three exposure times (i.e., 10, 30 and 60 min) were each compared with non-exposed cells (i.e., t0). In total 4 different acid down-shocks were applied, pH 5.4, pH 5.0, pH 4.8 and pH 4.5. The experiments were performed in duplicate and the duplicate samples were hybridised with a dye-swap.
Project description:Comparative phenotype and transcriptome analyses were performed with Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 exposed to acid down-shock to pH 5.5 set with different acidulants. When acidified with hydrochloric acid (HCl), growth was diminished, whereas 2 mM undissociated lactic acid (HL) or acetic acid (HAc) stopped growth without inactivation (bacteriostatic condition), and 15 mM undissociated HAc caused growth arrest and, finally, cell death, as reflected by a 3 to 4 log inactivation (bactericidal condition). Within the first 60 min after pH down-shock, the intracellular ATP levels of cultures shocked with HCl were increased. The bacteriostatic pH shocks did not result in increased nor decreased intracellular ATP levels, indicating that the high energy status within the stressed aerobically grown B. cereus cells could be maintained. In contrast, exposure to 15 mM undissociated HAc resulted in significant lower ATP levels, which was in accordance with the observed inactivation. The transcriptomic responses pH down-shocked cultures were studied in the same time frame. The analyses revealed general and specific responses coupled to the different phenotypes and the acidulant used. The general acid stress response, shown in all different pH shocks, involves modulation of pyruvate metabolism and an oxidative stress response. The shifts in pyruvate metabolism include induction dehydrogenases of a butanediol fermentation pathway under non-lethal acid stress conditions and of lactate, formate, and ethanol fermentation pathways under 15 mM HAc stress. Other 15 mM HAc-specific responses were induction of the alternative electron-transport systems, including cydAB, and fatty acid biosynthesis genes. Differences in gene expression for the bacteriostatic organic acid stress conditions compared to the growth-retarded inorganic stress condition indicated a more stringent oxidative stress response, including induction of an additional catalase gene and a gene encoding a Dps-like protein. Moreover, modulations in amino acid and oligopeptide transport were also found for the 2 mM HAc and HL shocks. HL-specific and HAc-specific responses both involve amino acid metabolism. Our study on the genome-wide responses of aerobically grown B. cereus pH 5.5 shocks provides a unique overview of the different responses induced by three acidulants relevant for food preservation.