E. coli and water quality: Reevaluation of mug tests and development of radical new indole test. Final technical report
The project was undertaken to address the problem of MUG (4-methylumbelliferyl-B-D-glucuronide)-negative E. coli in water testing, and to develop a new, more reliable indole-based test for E. coli. In a study involving 39 healthy human volunteers, it was found that 1/3 of E. coli isolated from fresh human fecal samples tested MUG-negative in lauryl tryptose broth with MUG. It was further discovered: (1) The presence of simple sugars can cause catabolite repression of beta-GUR in a small percentage of E coli. (2) In gene probe studies, almost all E. coli isolates have portions of the uidA (GUR) gene sequence. Based on these two findings, catabolite repression can only be a partial explanation for the high-rate of GUR-negative E. coli. The authors improved the E. coli confirmatory medium, EC + MUG by removing the lactose, which allows for a stronger MUG test and the inclusion of the more reliable indole test. They called this newly improved medium INDEC, for Indole and EC medium. They later developed Colitag 3, a one-day, single tube indole-based test for E. coli.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Nutritional Sciences
- OSTI ID:
- 6792216
- Report Number(s):
- PB-93-172963/XAB; CNN: DI-14-08-0001-G1816
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: See also PB--91-234591
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
WATER QUALITY
QUALITY ASSURANCE
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CULTURE MEDIA
ESCHERICHIA COLI
FECES
INDOLES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PUBLIC HEALTH
WATER POLLUTION
WATER TREATMENT
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
AZOLES
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CHEMISTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EVALUATION
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PYRROLES
TESTING
WASTES
320603* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
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550700 - Microbiology