Use of flow cytometry for quantitative analysis of metabolism of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) salmonella

Abstract

A simple and rapid assay method for analysis of the metabolic activity of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) Salmonella was established. An environmental isolate of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), grown to the logarithmic phase, rapidly lost its culturability during incubation with 1-10 mM H2O2 in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium. To assess the viability of the bacteria, we measured 3 different metabolic activities: Respiratory activity by 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl-tetrazolium chloride (CTC) reduction, glucose uptake assessed with 2-[N-(7- nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG), and DNA synthesis activity evaluated by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation. These activities were analyzed by both confocal laser-scanning microscopy and flow cytometry, together with colony-formation assays on LB-agar plates. The results showed that some of the H2O2-treated SE cells were in the VBNC state and that the extent of H2O2-induced decrease in each metabolic activity varied according to the activity. That is, glucose-uptake activity was not markedly changed, being kept at the highest level; whereas the respiratory activity was less than that of the glucose-uptake, and DNA synthesis activity was the lowest among them. These results suggest that the VBNC state might be characterized by different metabolic activities that vary and correspond to the kind and strength of the stress, threatening bacterial survival in an adverse environment.