Microbial Growth

PEARSON

Pearson Education Limited 2019 _Brock 15th ed

-Prentice
Hau
Microbial growth:

- increase in the number of cells

Bacterial reproduction:
- mostly by binary fission
Fts proteins:

- “filamentous temperature sensitive”

- Archaea and Bacteria
- interact to form division apparatus:
divisome.
FtsZ
- structurally similar to eukaryotic tubulin
- similar proteins found in mitochondria
and chloroplasts
- defines division plane in the cell
- FtsZ ring forms after DNA replication
 anchors FtsZ PBP

separates chromosomes

GTPase

Location of cell midpoints by FtsZ: Min C, Min E

 phase contrast

stained nucleoids segregate,

FtsZ starts to form

stained FtsZ
Brock. 14th ed.
MreB:

- major shape-determining protein in rods, spirullum,

spirochetes

- absent in cocci

- forms actin-like cytoskeleton

Peptidoglycan Synthesis and
Cell Division
 separates chromosomes

new CW-green

wall bands
Autolysis: spontaneous cell lysis
bactoprenol molecule:
transports new glycan units
through the cytoplasmic membrane
to the growing cell wall
Generation time or doubling time
Mathematics of Exponential Growth
Exponential Growth or Logarithmic:

- Population doubles every generation

- 100% increase in population every generation
Brock 14 ed. 2014
The Bacterial Growth Curve
Measurements of Microbial Growth

A. Direct
Total Counts:
1.Microscopic counts
1.1. Counting Chamber
Total Counts:

1. Microscopic counts (con’t)

1.2. DAPI- 4’, 6-diamidophenylindole- DNA
1.3. Acridine orange- DNA

2. Flow cytometer
Viable Cell Count:

1. Viability staining
- based on presence of intact cytoplasmic membrane
LIVE/DEAD Baclight Viability Stain
TM

red dye with propidium iodide: penetrates those

without intact cytoplasmic membrane-dead
green dye: penetrates all cells

2. Plate count
Viable cell count,
Plate count

Serial dilution
Measurements of Microbial Growth
B. Indirect
Turbidity measurement
 Continuous Culture: The Chemostat

maintains culture in exponential phase for

long periods – days, weeks
Environmental Effects on Microbial Growth:

Temperature
 Enzymatic reactions
occurring at maximal
possible rate
Enzymatic reactions Optimum
occurring at increasingly
rapid rates

Minimum
Maximum
I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _....i;. . . ._ __

Temperature
Membrane gelling; Protein denaturation;
transport processes collapse of the cytoplasmic
so slow that growth membrane; thermal
cannot occur lysis
Figure 6-16 Brock Biology of Microorganisms 11 /e
© 2006 Pearson Prentice Hall, Inc.
Classification Optimum growth
temperature o C
Psychrophile ≤ 15
Mesophile 20-40
Thermophile 45-80
Hyperthermophile > 80
Environmental Effects on Microbial
Growth:

pH, Osmolarity, and Oxygen

• acidophiles- pH < 6.0
Pichrophilus oshimae- pH 0.7

• neutrophiles

. alkaliphiles- pH >/= 9
Osmotic Effects on Microbial
Growth
• Xerophiles are able to grow in very dry
environments.
Oxygen and Microbial Growth
O 2 + e- O2-

O2- + e- + 2H+ H2O2

H 2 O 2 + e- + H + H2O + OH.

Singlet oxygen 1O2

Bacterial Nutrition
Classification of microorganisms based on:

1. Carbon source
▪ heterotroph
▪ autotroph

2. Electron (hydrogen) source

▪ organotroph
▪ lithotroph

3. Energy source
▪ chemotroph
▪ phototroph
Brock 13th ed
Brock 13th ed
Macronutrients:

Essential elements to all-

C, H, O, N, S, P, Se

Essential ions for most-

Mg, Ca, K, Na, Cl
Iron-chelating agent
 catechol

Ferric enterobactin of Escherichia coli

Iron-chelating agent
Aquachelin in marine bacteria
Brock 13th ed