Intracellular accumulation of potassium and glutamate specifically enhances survival of Escherichia coli in seawater.

The high resistance of Escherichia coli grown in saline media to seawater was suppressed by an osmotic down-shock. The shock released several molecules into the medium, including potassium, glutamate, and glycine betaine when cells were previously grown in the presence of this osmolyte. Incubation of such sensitized cells in a solution containing K+ (80 mM) and glutamate (50 mM) at pH 7.4 restored their resistance to seawater up to a level close to that observed initially. The protective effect was partly due to the rapid accumulation of K+; a significant exponential relationship between intracellular concentration of K+ and resistance to seawater was observed. Glutamate was accumulated more slowly and progressively completed the action of K+. These data emphasize the specific influence of potassium glutamate on osmotically stressed E. coli cells. They confirm that regulation of osmotic pressure and, probably, of intracellular pH strongly enhances survival of E. coli in seawater. Osmotic fluctuations in waters carrying enteric bacteria from intestines to seawater, together with variations in their K+ and amino acid contents, could modify the ability of cells to survive in marine environments. These results demonstrate the need to strictly control conditions (K+ content, temperature) used to wash cells before their transfer to seawater microcosms. They suggest that the K+ and glutamate contents of media in which E. coli cells are transported to the sea can influence their subsequent survival in marine environments.