A new method for the rapid estimation of viability in anhydrobiotic cells of the biocontrol agent Tsukamurella paurometabola C-924 was developed. The method is based on the absorbance due to hydrogen sulfide production. A linear model was obtained by plotting decimal logarithm of the corrected absorbance at 670 nm (log[Abs corrected ]) versus the decimal logarithm of culturable cells (log[X v ]) (r 2 = 0.9428). After comparing the results obtained by the proposed method to the ones obtained by the plate counting technique, no significant difference was observed in the number of culturable cells. The new technique, which is faster than plate counting, permits the estimation of biologic activity in anhydrobiotic cells of the strain C-924 in only 2 h.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSNo previous reports concerning the method presented in this paper were found in the reviewed literature; in our particular case, this method allows a rapid evaluation of the viability and physiologic state of Tsukamurella paurometabola C-924. The method presented here permits the estimation of viability in desiccated cells of bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide from cysteine as a sulfur source. This methodology could be applied in research related to the isolation of anhydrobiotes hydrogen sulfide producers. In addition, industrial application could be found, for example, the assessment of the 3 Corresponding 222 viability of bacteria hydrogen sulfide producers formulated in wettable powders used in bioremediation or bioprecipitation of heavy metals. Furthermore, the biologic activity of these microorganisms could be estimated (i.e., desulfurase activity).
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