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Rates of chilling to 0°C: implications for the survival of microorganisms and relationship with membrane fluidity modifications

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Abstract

The effects of slow chilling (2°C min−1) and rapid chilling (2,000°C min−1) were investigated on the survival and membrane fluidity of Escherichia coli, of Bacillus subtilis, and of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cell death was found to be dependent on the physiological state of cell cultures and on the rate of temperature downshift. Slow temperature decrease allowed cell stabilization, whereas the rapid chilling induced an immediate loss of viability of up to more than 90 and 70% for the exponentially growing cells of E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively. To relate the results of viability with changes in membrane physical state, membrane anisotropy variation was monitored during thermal stress using the fluorescence probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. No variation in the membrane fluidity of all the three microorganisms was found after the slow chilling. It is interesting to note that fluorescence measurements showed an irreversible rigidification of the membrane of exponentially growing cells of E. coli and B. subtilis after the instantaneous cold shock, which was not observed with S. cerevisiae. This irreversible effect of the rapid cold shock on the membrane correlated well with high rates of cell inactivation. Thus, membrane alteration seems to be the principal cause of the cold shock injury.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Vietnamese and French Ministries of Education and Training. We gratefully acknowledge stimulating discussions and carefully reading of the manuscript by Yves Waché, help in measurements of membrane fluidity evolutions by Jean-Marie Perrier-Cornet and the Plateau Technique “Imagerie Spectroscopique” IFR 92.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés Microbiologiques et Alimentaires, ENSBANA, Université de Bourgogne, 1 Esplanade Erasme, 21000, Dijon, France

    L. Cao-Hoang, F. Dumont, P. A. Marechal & P. Gervais

  2. Laboratory of Fermentation Technology, Institute of Biological and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam

    L. Cao-Hoang & M. Le-Thanh

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  1. L. Cao-Hoang
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  2. F. Dumont
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  3. P. A. Marechal
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  4. M. Le-Thanh
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  5. P. Gervais
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Correspondence to P. A. Marechal.

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Cao-Hoang, L., Dumont, F., Marechal, P.A. et al. Rates of chilling to 0°C: implications for the survival of microorganisms and relationship with membrane fluidity modifications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 77, 1379–1387 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-007-1279-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-007-1279-z

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