Factors influencing the loss of bacteria in preserved seawater samples

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 137:305-310 (1996) - doi:10.3354/meps137305 Factors influencing the loss of bacteria in preserved seawater samples Gundersen K, Bratbak G, Heldal M Several time course storage experiments with preserved seawater samples were conducted to study the loss of bacterial cells as a function of storage time. The number of bacteria decreased by 24 to 50% within 7 to 29 d in samples preserved with 2.5% glutaraldehyde (final conc.). A comparison between epifluorescence and electron microscope counts showed that the decrease was not due to filtration artefacts. Only 0.4 to 0.6% of the bacterial cells were found to be attached to the walls of the sample containers after 1 yr of storage. There was no positive correlation between the frequency of virus-infected cells at the start of the storage experiments and the loss of bacteria as a function of storage time. Numbers of bacteria declined by only 5% the first 9 d in samples preserved in glutaraldehyde and stored at -20*C. By adding phenolmethylsulfonylfluoride (PMSF), a protease inhibitor, prior to the addition of glutaraldehyde, the loss of bacterial cells only 17 to 18% over a 30 to 35 d period. Our study shows that protease activity may be a major cause of bacterial loss in glutaraldehyde preserved samples. Bacteria . Preservation . Glutaraldehyde . PMSF Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 137. Publication date: June 27, 1996 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1996 Inter-Research.