Rupture of Bacteria by Explosive Decompression

Abstract

Foster, John W. (University of Georgia, Athens), Robert M. Cowan, and Ted A. Maag . Rupture of bacteria by explosive decompression. J. Bacteriol. 83: 330–334. 1962.—A device is described for instantaneously rupturing bacteria and other cells in a closed system under controlled conditions by explosive decompression. With this device, 31 to 59% of Serratia marcescens , ranging up to 20 mg (dry wt) of cells per ml, were ruptured after nitrogen saturation at 1740 psi. Under similar conditions, 10 to 25% of Brucella abortus and Staphylococcus aureus were ruptured. Rupture of these organisms produced readily separable cell walls. Centrifugation in linear glycerol gradients was applied to further separate cell walls from debris. Mycoplasma gallinarum, Leptospira pomona , and Eimeria tenella (avian coccidia) oöcysts were also broken up by the decompression chamber. Pressure and duration of saturation of cells with gas affected rupture efficiency. Within the limits of this study, concentration of organisms and volume of suspensions did not have a definite effect.

Microbial cell disruption for improving lipid recovery using pressurized CO2: Role of CO2 solubility in cell suspension, sugar broth, and spent media

“…Because of this sudden pressure release, the gas expands within the cells and part of the cell mechanically ruptures like a popped balloon. 30,[32][33][34][35] Solubilization of CO 2 in the lipid-rich microbial cells is the initial step of cell disruption. As a result, it is important to have a deep insight of CO 2 -cell interaction to design an efficient cell disruption process, which can be obtained through the knowledge of solubility of CO 2 in triglycerides.…”

Effect of Process Variables on Supercritical Fluid Disruption of Ralstonia eutropha Cells for Poly(R-hydroxybutyrate) Recovery

“…To date, application of SCF in cell disruption (SC disruption) over a wide range of operating conditions has been confined to yeasts (26, 32 − 35 ) and a few bacteria (27, 36, 37). The process involves a sudden release of the applied SC‐CO 2 pressure that results in its penetration into the cells.…”

Loss of salt-tolerance and transformation efficiency in Escherichia coli associated with sub-lethal injury by centrifugation

“…filamentation) (ZoBell and Cobet 1964), and are increased in their susceptibility towards some antibiotics (Marquis 1973). Additionally, rapid compression and decompression (up to 500 bar) has been reported to reduce the viability of some microorganisms (Foster et al 1962). T h e pressures required in these studies to affect microbial physiologies were, however, significantly greater than those associated with centrifugation.…”