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Identification of key proteins related to shallow and deep viable but non-culturable state in Escherichia coli exposed to monochloramine disinfection

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: AIMS: While drinking water disinfection can significantly reduce bacterial populations it does not eradicate all the bacteria present as many cells enter varying levels of dormancy including the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. We posit that the VBNC state represents a continuum, with lower and greater levels of stress leading to Shallow and Deep VBNC, respectively, in exposed cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the proteomic differences of Escherichia coli that entered varying depths of the VBNC state upon monochloramine disinfection at different doses. Exposure for 1 h to low (17 μM) and high (50 μM) concentrations of monochloramine led to general VBNC outcomes that showed loss of culturability but retention of viability. However, cells exposed to 17 μM monochloramine exhibited high levels of ATP production, while 50 μM exposure resulted in low levels of ATP productions, confirming that the low and high monochloramine doses resulted in a proposed Shallow and Deep VBNC states, respectively. Differentially expressed proteins analyses showed that proteins related to cell motility (LuxS) and arginine biosynthesis (ArgD) were upregulated, while several oxidative stress response proteins (FumC and Mdh) were downregulated in the Shallow VBNC group. Within the Deep VBNC group, multiple DNA translation-related proteins were downregulated as oligopeptides transport proteins (OppA) and periplasmic proteins (YdeI) were upregulated. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed a gradient in VBNC responses of E. coli in response to different monochloramine doses, accompanied by changes in the proteome.
DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxaf309
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,777
OpenAlex ID: W4417433530
FWCI: 0.537
Cites: 45
Cited by: 1
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