Biomaterial Database

Effect of pH and Salinity on the Production of Extracellular Virulence Factors by Aeromonas from Food Sources. 2019

Nifty John, and V B Vidyalakshmi, and A A Mohamed Hatha

Dept. of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Lakeside Campus, Cochin Univ. of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682 016, Kerala, India.

The ability to produce various extracellular enzymes is considered as an important virulence feature in Aeromonas spp., in addition to producing specific virulence factors such as aerolysin and hemolysin. In this study, the effect of salinity and pH on the production of extracellular virulence factors by Aeromonas was investigated. Aeromonas was obtained from different food sources. A comparative study of the activities of extracellular enzymes secreted by these bacteria at different environmental conditions can widen our understanding on their pathogenicity. The activities of various extracellular enzymes such as amylase, gelatinase, and caseinase, which are implicated as virulence factors, were measured in vitro by calculating the enzymatic activity index (EAI) of each enzyme using standard laboratory protocols. For all enzymes, a significant change (P < 0.05) in the EAI was observed when the concentration of NaCl in the media increased from 0.5% to 3%. Among three enzymes tested, caseinase was found to be affected the most by salinity, with a significant difference in EAI when NaCl concentration in the media increased from 0.5% to 2%. Similarly, amylase was found to be affected the most by acidity. The pH values ranging from 6 to 9 did not exert any significant change in EAI of amylase; however, a pH value of 5 had a significant effect. Overall, compared to salinity, the change in pH was found to be less effective in controlling the extracellular virulence factor production in Aeromonas. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The practical application is to minimize the extracellular virulence factor production by Aeromonas in food commodities by altering the salt content and pH. The results demonstrate that an increase in salinity and a decrease in pH can minimize the extracellular virulence factor production by Aeromonas spp.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005516	Food Microbiology	The presence of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in food and food products. This term is not restricted to pathogenic organisms: the presence of various non-pathogenic bacteria and fungi in cheeses and wines, for example, is included in this concept.	Microbiology, Food
D006460	Hemolysin Proteins	Proteins from BACTERIA and FUNGI that are soluble enough to be secreted to target ERYTHROCYTES and insert into the membrane to form beta-barrel pores. Biosynthesis may be regulated by HEMOLYSIN FACTORS.	Hemolysin,Hemolysins,Hemalysins,Proteins, Hemolysin
D006863	Hydrogen-Ion Concentration	The normality of a solution with respect to HYDROGEN ions; H+. It is related to acidity measurements in most cases by pH	pH,Concentration, Hydrogen-Ion,Concentrations, Hydrogen-Ion,Hydrogen Ion Concentration,Hydrogen-Ion Concentrations
D000333	Aeromonas	A genus of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria that occurs singly, in pairs, or in short chains. Its organisms are found in fresh water and sewage and are pathogenic to humans, frogs, and fish.
D001426	Bacterial Proteins	Proteins found in any species of bacterium.	Bacterial Gene Products,Bacterial Gene Proteins,Gene Products, Bacterial,Bacterial Gene Product,Bacterial Gene Protein,Bacterial Protein,Gene Product, Bacterial,Gene Protein, Bacterial,Gene Proteins, Bacterial,Protein, Bacterial,Proteins, Bacterial
D001427	Bacterial Toxins	Toxic substances formed in or elaborated by bacteria; they are usually proteins with high molecular weight and antigenicity; some are used as antibiotics and some to skin test for the presence of or susceptibility to certain diseases.	Bacterial Toxin,Toxins, Bacterial,Toxin, Bacterial
D012965	Sodium Chloride	A ubiquitous sodium salt that is commonly used to season food.	Sodium Chloride, (22)Na,Sodium Chloride, (24)NaCl
D052899	Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins	Proteins secreted from an organism which form membrane-spanning pores in target cells to destroy them. This is in contrast to PORINS and MEMBRANE TRANSPORT PROTEINS that function within the synthesizing organism and COMPLEMENT immune proteins. These pore forming cytotoxic proteins are a form of primitive cellular defense which are also found in human LYMPHOCYTES.
D054712	Salinity	Degree of saltiness, which is largely the OSMOLAR CONCENTRATION of SODIUM CHLORIDE plus any other SALTS present. It is an ecological factor of considerable importance, influencing the types of organisms that live in an ENVIRONMENT.
D037521	Virulence Factors	Those components of an organism that determine its capacity to cause disease but are not required for its viability per se. Two classes have been characterized: TOXINS, BIOLOGICAL and surface adhesion molecules that effect the ability of the microorganism to invade and colonize a host. (From Davis et al., Microbiology, 4th ed. p486)	Pathogenicity Factor,Pathogenicity Factors,Virulence Factor,Factor, Pathogenicity,Factor, Virulence,Factors, Pathogenicity,Factors, Virulence