Lecture 2: Brief Review of Bacteria Flashcards
What is the role of the cell membrane (plasma membrane)
Is responsible for a broad range of activities including solute transport, electron transport, establishment of electrochemical gradients, ATP synthesis, synthesis of lipids, secretion of proteins, secretion and uptake of intercellular signals
The cell wall of bacteria is made up of
peptidoglycan
The cell wall protects the the cell from bursting due to ___
turgor pressure
What is turgor pressure?
Exists because bacteria live in environments that are more dilute than the cytoplasm. This causes a net influx of water. This results in pressure (turgor) being directed out against the cell wall
Gram ___ has a thicker layer of peptidoglycan
gram positive
Explain the purpose and process of the gram stain.
Is used to differentiate Gram-positive from Gram-negative bacteria by using the physical properties of the cell walls (thickness/ amount of peptidoglycan)
Cells are dyed with crystal violet dye, iodide is added, this binds crystal violet and traps it in the peptidoglycan (called a mordant)
Cells are destained using ethanol or acetone
Gram-positive cells retain the dye and remain violet, gram-negative cells lose their colour
Counterstaining is then preformed with Safranin or Carbol Fushin which stains Gram-Negative cells pink or red, allowing them to show up under light microscopy
Explain the four main surface structures of gram positive bacteria
- Teichoic acids; comprise 30-60% of the dry cell weight, anchored to the peptidoglycan, several capsule functions
- capsule; used in classification of a varit
- fimbrae and pili
- flagella
organelle of locomotion
flagella
fimbrae and pili
proteins on the cell surface found in some gram positive and most gram negative
Explain the four main surface structures of gram negative bacteria
Lipopolysaccharide: consists of lipid A, core and repeating oligosaccharide (O-antigen)
Capsule: used in classification, variety of roles. It is a polysaccharide layer that lies outside of the cell envelope of bacteria.
Fimbrae and pili: proteins on the cell surface found in most gram negative
flagella: organelle of locomotion
what are fimbrae and pili and what is their function?
-They are protein fibrils extending from the cell surface found in most gram negative and few gram positive bacteria. -Functions are not known in all cases, can be short (0.2um), long (20um), skinny (3nm), or fat (14nm)
-Many mediate attachment to other cells, or surfaces
-Adhesive pili have adhesins, which are proteins in the pili that allow the pili to stick to things
-Some pathogens have pili that allow them to stick to human cells
Some mediate genetic exchange
What are adhesins?
They make up a part of adhesive pili which are proteins in the pili that allow pili to stick to things. Some pathogens have pili that allow them to stick to human cells.
-Some mediate genetic exchange.
What is used for bacteria to attach to each other and transmit DNA from a donor cell to a recipient cell?
Sex pili
What is sex pili?
- used for bacteria to attach to each other and transmit DNA from a donor cell to a recipient cell
- These pili are different from other pili
- They are found in enteric bacteria (E. coli and Pseudomonas) but are not universal among bacteria
- In E. coli the sex pili is coded for by a conjugative transmissible plasmid, the F plasmid that resides in donor strains
T or F: sex pili are found in enteric bacteria like E coli and Pseudomonas but are not universal among bacteria
True
What is the role of the F plasmid?
In E. coli the sex pili is coded for by a conjugative transmissible plasmid, the F plasmid that resides in donor strains
What are flagella?
- Swimming bacteria have one or more flagella
- Organelle of locomotion that protrude from the cell surface
- Flagellum is a stiff helical filament that rotates like a propeller
- Unrelated to the eukaryotic flagellum in composition, structure, and mechanism of action (i.e. sperm)
Several bacteria are serotyped based on their cell structures which include?
Capsule (K) Antigen: Capsular Polysaccharide, associated with cell surface non-covalently and protects bacteria from host immune system. The K antigen repeat units form a high molecular weight structure called as ‘capsule’
Lipopolysaccharide (O) Antigen: also known as lipoglycans and endotoxins, are large molecules consisting of a lipid and a polysaccharide composed of O-antigen, outer core and inner core joined by a covalent bond; they are found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and elicit strong immune responses in animals
Fimbriae (F) antigen: Protein antigen found on the surface of some gram-positive, and some gram-negative bacteria, rarely used in classification
Flagella (H) antigen: Based on reaction with the Flagellin protein, that arranges itself in a hollow cylinder to form the filament in a bacterial flagellum.
microorganisms can exist in a single environment within foods, in a variety of physiological and physical states. what are they?
- vegetative
- injured
- viable, not culturable (VBNC)
- communicating in structured communities (biofilms)
- sporulated
___ can lead to injured cells
sublethal stressor
what are injured cells?
cells that are unable to grow on selective media, but are able to grow on non selective media
why is microbial injury important in food microbiology?
1- If injured cells appear dead due to the use of selective media in thermal (or other) studies, the thermal (or other) resistance will be underestimated and the true “kill” values will be low
2- Injured cells make escape routine detection post-processing leading to faster spoilage or a safety problem
3- The “selective agent” may be a common food ingredient such as salt, organic acid, or suboptimal temperature.
___ the process by which cells recover from injury
repair
Repair of cells requires what 2 factors
de novo RNA and protein synthesis
how may recovery in injured cells manifest itself
extended lag phase
what is restablished during repair
membrane integrity
Adding ____ can help overcome damage caused by oxygen toxicity
peroxide detox agent
_____ is also critical ie L monocytogenes can start repair immediately at 37 degrees celsius but repair is delayed for almost a week at 4 deg C
temperature
What does VBNC stand for
viable but no culturable