The Effect of Aerosolization upon Survival and Potassium Retention by Various Bacteria

SUMMARY: Previous studies with populations of Escherichia coli strain B, recovered from aerosols, showed that, of the biochemical changes which were shown to precede death, the most dramatic was a rapid loss of ability to maintain cellular potassium concentrations. Loss of control over potassium may cause or contribute to death in bacteria recovered from aerosols and also probably implies a loss of control over other ions and substrates. Potassium ion efflux studies with this organism have been extended here to E. coli var. communis, E. coli strain JEPP, Aerobacter aerogenes strain H, Serratia marcescens strain 8 UK and Staphylococcus epidermidis strain NCTC 7291. After aerosolization all these organisms rapidly lost ability to retain intracellular potassium, as a consequence of damage initiated in the aerosol. Evidence for a positive correlation between survival and potassium retention was found over a limited range of conditions for most of the organisms examined. The significance of these results in relation to death processes in aerosolized bacteria is discussed.