Cell membrane integrity and distinguishing between metabolically active and inactive cells as a means of improving viability PCR

Francesc Codony; Gemma Agustí; Anna Allué-Guardia

doi:10.1016/j.mcp.2015.03.003

Cell membrane integrity and distinguishing between metabolically active and inactive cells as a means of improving viability PCR

Mol Cell Probes. 2015 Jun;29(3):190-2. doi: 10.1016/j.mcp.2015.03.003. Epub 2015 Mar 20.

Authors

Francesc Codony¹, Gemma Agustí², Anna Allué-Guardia³

Affiliations

¹ Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi, 22, 08222 Terrassa, Spain; GenIUL, Rambla Sant Nebridi, 22, 08222 Terrassa, Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi, 22, 08222 Terrassa, Spain; GenIUL, Rambla Sant Nebridi, 22, 08222 Terrassa, Spain.
³ GenIUL, Rambla Sant Nebridi, 22, 08222 Terrassa, Spain; University of Missouri, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, M621 Medical Sciences Bldg, One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.

PMID: 25797787
DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2015.03.003

Abstract

Viability PCR uses cell membrane integrity to differentiate live cells from dead. Our new approach improves viability PCR by enabling it to also discriminate between cells with an intact cell membrane and the ability to actively maintain bacterial homeostasis and cells that have an intact membrane but are metabolically inactive.

Keywords: Ethidium monoazide; Propidium monoazide; Viability PCR.

MeSH terms

Azides / metabolism
Bacteria / cytology*
Bacteria / metabolism*
Cell Membrane / metabolism*
Microbial Viability*
Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
Propidium / analogs & derivatives
Propidium / metabolism

Substances

Azides
propidium monoazide
Propidium
8-azidoethidium