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. 1979 Feb;37(2):266–273. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.2.266-273.1979

Deoxyribonucleic acid strand breaks during drying of Escherichia coli on a hydorohobic filter membrane.

S Asada, M Takano, I Shibasaki
PMCID: PMC243198  PMID: 373625

Abstract

Cells of Escherichia coli mounted on a hydrophobic filter membrane were dried under various vapor pressures. A mutant defective in deoxyribonucleic acid repair (uvrA recA) was more sensitive to drying at a water activity of 0.53 or below than the parent strain but not at a water activity of 0.75 and above. Sucrose gradient studies showed that single- and double-strand breaks of deoxyribonucleic acid occurred at a water activity of 0.53 or below, but no breaks could be observed at a water activity of 0.75 or above. These results were observed in all cells rehydrated with 0.03 M tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane-hydrocholoride buffer solution at 0 or 37 degrees C, in the presence or absence of oxygen, with saturated water vapor or with a hypertonic solution followed by a gradual dilution. Freezable water was detected in the cells only at a water activity above 0.75 by differential scanning calorimetry. Removal of unfreezable water of cells in the drying, therfore, might induce deoxyribonucleic acid strand breaks.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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