[Adaptation of Leptospira interrograns (sensu stricto) to fresh water].

The contact with polluted waters is one of the main risk factors to catch leptospirosis. A study is presented about the adaptation of Leptospira interrograns to nutrient-lacking water media. For this end, leptospires were incubated in distilled water and tampon saline solution for an undetermined period of time. Leptospires kept viable in water for 98 days whereas the incubated ones in tampon saline solution survived 3 weeks only. Protein cellular and external membrane components were analyzed with electrophoresis in acrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE). When OM protein profiles of leptospires kept in water were compared to those OM profiles of cells cultured in ENJA medium, some differences were observed. A 56 kDa protein was present in leptospires kept in water for a week. This protein was identified as GroEL through Western Blot test.