Disciplines
Food Microbiology | Virology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Effectiveness of bacteriophages against bloater-causing bacteria Enterobacter cloacae in a model food system
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Ashley Reed, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Sandra Kopic, Unique Sardeneta, and Jean Lu
Abstract
Cucumber fermentation is one of the most important vegetable fermentations in the United States and Europe. Enterobacter cloacae and other gas-producing bacteria can cause bloater defect (the gas pockets or hollow cavities formed in fermented cucumbers) which lowers the quality and the yield of fermented cucumbers, thereby resulting in significant economic losses to the pickling industry. Cost-effective strategies to control E. cloacae and other microbiota need to be developed. Using bacteriophages (phages) to eliminate undesired bacteria is an emerging and promising biocontrol method. Our lab recently isolated two phages, F107E and F115E, infecting E. cloacae strains 107E and 115E, respectively. In this study, we measured 1-step growth curve of phage F107E at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01 and 37°C in cucumber juice. The data showed that the eclipse period (not including 10-min adsorption) is only 10 min and the burst size is 28 virions per infected cell. We also evaluated the effectiveness of the two phages as biocontrol agents against E. cloacae in cucumber juice. The infection with F107E at MOI of 100 or 1 effectively eliminated its host within 2 or 3 hours, indicating very high lytic activity against its host. The infection with F115E at MOI of 0.2 or 0.02 caused more than 3 log unit reduction in its host concentration within 2 or 3 hours. But thereafter, phage-resistant bacterial mutants emerged. Thus, phage F107E has a greater potential to be used in commercial cucumber fermentation to eliminate its host in order to reduce bloater defect.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Jean Lu
Included in
Effectiveness of bacteriophages against bloater-causing bacteria Enterobacter cloacae in a model food system
Effectiveness of bacteriophages against bloater-causing bacteria Enterobacter cloacae in a model food system
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Ashley Reed, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Sandra Kopic, Unique Sardeneta, and Jean Lu
Abstract
Cucumber fermentation is one of the most important vegetable fermentations in the United States and Europe. Enterobacter cloacae and other gas-producing bacteria can cause bloater defect (the gas pockets or hollow cavities formed in fermented cucumbers) which lowers the quality and the yield of fermented cucumbers, thereby resulting in significant economic losses to the pickling industry. Cost-effective strategies to control E. cloacae and other microbiota need to be developed. Using bacteriophages (phages) to eliminate undesired bacteria is an emerging and promising biocontrol method. Our lab recently isolated two phages, F107E and F115E, infecting E. cloacae strains 107E and 115E, respectively. In this study, we measured 1-step growth curve of phage F107E at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01 and 37°C in cucumber juice. The data showed that the eclipse period (not including 10-min adsorption) is only 10 min and the burst size is 28 virions per infected cell. We also evaluated the effectiveness of the two phages as biocontrol agents against E. cloacae in cucumber juice. The infection with F107E at MOI of 100 or 1 effectively eliminated its host within 2 or 3 hours, indicating very high lytic activity against its host. The infection with F115E at MOI of 0.2 or 0.02 caused more than 3 log unit reduction in its host concentration within 2 or 3 hours. But thereafter, phage-resistant bacterial mutants emerged. Thus, phage F107E has a greater potential to be used in commercial cucumber fermentation to eliminate its host in order to reduce bloater defect.