Open AccessAntisense-RNA-Mediated Decreased Synthesis of Small, Acid-Soluble Spore Proteins Leads to Decreased Resistance of Clostridium perfringens Spores to Moist Heat and UV Radiation
Author(s) -
Deepa Raju,
Peter Setlow,
Mahfuzur R. Sarker
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.02500-06
Subject(s) - clostridium perfringens , spore , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , clostridium , heat resistance , food science , chemistry , bacteria , materials science , genetics , composite material
Previous work has suggested that a group of α/β-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) is involved in the resistance ofClostridium perfringens spores to moist heat. However, this suggestion is based on the analysis ofC. perfringens spores lacking only one of the three genes encoding α/β-type SASP in this organism. We have now used antisense RNA to decrease levels of α/β-type SASP inC. perfringens spores by ∼90%. These spores had significantly reduced resistance to both moist heat and UV radiation but not to dry heat. These results clearly demonstrate the important role of α/β-type SASP in the resistance ofC. perfringens spores.