Skip to main content

Flow Cytometry of Bacterial Membrane Potential and Permeability

  • Protocol
New Antibiotic Targets

Part of the book series: Methods In Molecular Medicine™ ((MIMM,volume 142))

Summary

This chapter describes reliable flow cytometric methods for assessment of two important physiologic characteristics of bacteria, membrane potential and membrane permeability, which can provide indications of the effects of antimicrobial agents on microorganisms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shapiro, H. M. (2003) Practical Flow Cytometry, 4th ed. Wiley-Liss, Hoboken, NJ (available online at http://probes.invitrogen.com/products/flowcytometry/practi-calflowcytometry.html).

  2. Davey, H. M., and Kell, D. B. (1996) Flow cytometry and cell sorting of heterogeneous microbial populations–-The importance of single-cell analyses. Microbiol. Rev. 60, 641–696.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Shapiro, H. M. (2000) Microbial analysis at the single-cell level: Tasks and techniques. J. Microbiol. Meth. 42 3–16. (Note: The full text of this paper may be downloaded without charge from http://www1.elsevier.com/homepage/sah/mimet/speciss/1368.pdf.)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brehm-Stecher, B., and Johnson, E. A. (2004) Single-cell microbiology: Tools, technologies, and applications. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 68, 538–559.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Nebe-von-Caron, G., Stephens, P. J., Hewitt, C. J., Powell, J. R., and Badley, R. A. (2000) Analysis of bacterial function by multi-colour fluorescence flow cytometry and single cell sorting. J. Microbiol. Meth. 42 97–114. (Note: The full text of this paper may be downloaded without charge from http://www1.elsevier.com/homepage/sah/mimet/speciss/1378.pdf.)

  6. Nikaido, H. (2003) Mechanisms of bacterial outer membrane permeability revisited. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 67, 593–656.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Leive, L., and Kollin, V. (1967) Controlling EDTA treatment to produce permeable Escherichia coli with normal metabolic processes. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 28, 229–236.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Vaara, M. (1992) Agents that increase the permeability of the outer membrane. Microbiol. Rev. 56, 395–411.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Walberg, M., Gaustad, P., and Steen, H. B. (1999) Uptake kinetics of nucleic acid targeting dyes in S. aureus, E. faecalis and B. cereus: A flow cytometric study. J. Microbiol. Meth. 35, 167–176.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Haugland, R. P. (ed.) (2005) The Handbook: A Guide to Fluorescent Probes and Labeling Technologies, 10th ed. Invitrogen/Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR (updated Web edition online at http://probes.invitrogen.com/handbook).

  11. Novo, D., Perlmutter, N. G., Hunt, R. H., and Shapiro, H. M. (1999) Accurate flow cytometric membrane potential measurement in bacteria using diethyloxacarbocyanine and a ratiometric technique. Cytometry 35, 55–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Novo, D. J., Perlmutter, N. G., Hunt, R. H., and Shapiro, H. M. (2000) Multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of antibiotic effects on membrane potential, membrane permeability, and bacterial counts of Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44, 827–834.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Shapiro, H. M. (2001) Multiparameter flow cytometry of bacteria: Implications for diagnostics and therapeutics. Cytometry 43, 223–226.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Shapiro, H. M. (2003) Method for overcoming bacterial antibiotic resistance. U. S. Patent No. 6,562,785, issued May 13, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gelle, M. P., Jacquelin, L. F., and Choisy, C. (2003) [Compared viability of planctonic bacteria and bacteria in biofilms by flowcytometry] [Article in French] Ann. Pharm. Fr. 61, 243–252.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Spiers, A. J., and Rainey, P. B. (2005) The Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 wrinkly spreader biofilm requires attachment factor, cellulose fibre and LPS interactions to maintain strength and integrity. Microbiology 151, 2829–2839.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Silverman, J. A., Perlmutter, N. G., and Shapiro, H. M. (2003) Correlation of daptomycin bactericidal activity and membrane depolarization in Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 47, 2538–2544.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Andries, K., Verhasselt, P., Guillemont, J., Gohlmann, H. W., Neefs, J. M., Winkler, H., Van Gestel, J., Timmerman, P., Zhu, M., Lee, E., Williams, P., de Chaffoy, D., Huitric, E., Hoffner, S., Cambau, E., Truffot-Pernot, C., Lounis, N., and Jarlier, V. (2005) A diarylquinoline drug active on the ATP synthase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Science 307, 223–227.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Dave Novo, Nancy Perlmutter, and Jared Silverman, who have played vital roles in the development and application of the methods described here.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Humana Press Inc.

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Shapiro, H.M. (2008). Flow Cytometry of Bacterial Membrane Potential and Permeability. In: Champney, W.S. (eds) New Antibiotic Targets. Methods In Molecular Medicine™, vol 142. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-246-5_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-246-5_14

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-915-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-246-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics