PMID- 11543591
OWN - NASA
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19950510
LR  - 20191105
IS  - 0167-7012 (Print)
IS  - 0167-7012 (Linking)
VI  - 13
DP  - 1991
TI  - Acridine orange staining reaction as an index of physiological activity in 
      Escherichia coli.
PG  - 87-97
AB  - The assumption that the acridine orange (AO) color reaction may be used as an 
      index of physiological activity was investigated in laboratory grown Escherichia 
      coli. Spectrofluorometric observations of purified nucleic acids, ribosomes and 
      the microscopic color of bacteriophage-infected cells stained with AO confirmed 
      the theory that single-stranded nucleic acids emit orange to red fluorescence 
      while those that are double-stranded fluoresce green in vivo. Bacteria growing 
      actively in a rich medium could be distinguished from cells in stationary phase 
      by the AO reaction. Cells from log phase appeared red, whereas those in 
      stationary phase were green. However, this differentiation was not seen when the 
      bacteria were grown in a minimal medium or when a variation of the staining 
      method was used. Also, shifting bacteria in stationary phase to starvation 
      conditions rapidly changed their AO staining reaction. Boiling and exposure to 
      lethal concentrations of azide and formalin resulted in stationary-phase cells 
      that appeared red after staining but bacteria killed with chlorine remained 
      green. These findings indicate that the AO staining reaction may be suggestive of 
      physiological activity under defined conditions. However, variables in staining 
      and fixation procedures as well as uncertainties associated with mixed bacterial 
      populations in environmental samples may produce results that are not consistent 
      with the classical interpretation of this reaction. The importance of validating 
      the putative physiological implications of this staining reaction is stressed.
FAU - McFeters, G A
AU  - McFeters GA
AD  - Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman.
FAU - Singh, A
AU  - Singh A
FAU - Byun, S
AU  - Byun S
FAU - Callis, P R
AU  - Callis PR
FAU - Williams, S
AU  - Williams S
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - J Microbiol Methods
JT  - Journal of microbiological methods
JID - 8306883
RN  - 0 (DNA, Single-Stranded)
RN  - 9007-49-2 (DNA)
RN  - F30N4O6XVV (Acridine Orange)
MH  - *Acridine Orange
MH  - Bacteriological Techniques
MH  - Bacteriophage M13
MH  - Colony Count, Microbial
MH  - DNA
MH  - DNA, Single-Stranded
MH  - *Environmental Microbiology
MH  - Escherichia coli/*cytology/*physiology
MH  - Ribosomes
MH  - Spectrometry, Fluorescence
MH  - Staining and Labeling
OID - NASA: 00013503
OTO - NASA
OT  - NASA Discipline Environmental Health
OT  - NASA Discipline Number 04-10
OT  - Non-NASA Center
FIR - McFeters, G A
IR  - McFeters GA
IRAD- Montana St U, Bozeman, Dept Microbiology
GN  - NASA: Grant numbers: NAG-9-17346
GN  - NASA: Grant numbers: 14-08-001-G1493
EDAT- 1991/01/01 00:00
MHDA- 2001/09/11 10:01
CRDT- 1991/01/01 00:00
PHST- 1991/01/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2001/09/11 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 1991/01/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 0167-7012(91)90009-F [pii]
AID - 10.1016/0167-7012(91)90009-f [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Microbiol Methods. 1991;13:87-97. doi: 10.1016/0167-7012(91)90009-f.