Luminescent bacteria, bioassays

Ribo, J.M. (1997) Interlaboratory comparison studies of the luminescent bacteria toxicity bioassay, Environmental Toxicology and Water Quality 12 (4), 283-294. 

Ribo, J.M., Yang, J.E. and Huang, P.M. (1989) Luminescent bacteria toxicity assay in the study of mercury speciation, in M. Munawar, G. Dixon, C.I. Mayfield, T. Reynoldson and M.H. Sadar (eds), Environmental Bioassay Techniques and their Application Proceedings of the 1st International Conference held in Lancaster, England, 11-14 July 1988, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, pp. 155-162. 

Nohava, M., W.R. Vogel, and H. Gaugitisch. 1995. Evaluation of the luminescent bacteria bioassay for the estimation of the toxicological potential of effluent water samples—comparison with data from chemical analyses. Environ. Int. 21 33-37. 

The Microtox test system utilizes a strain of naturally occurring luminescent bacteria - Vibrio fischeri. Exposure to a toxic substance causes a disruption of the respiratory process of the bacteria resulting in reduced light output. The effective concentration (EC50) is determined as the concentration of a toxicant that causes a 50% reduction in light output over a prescribed period of time (typically 5, 15, or 30 min). The test is fast, fairly simple to conduct, uses small sample sizes, and is relatively inexpensive. Results correlate well with those from other toxicity bioassays such as fish and Daphnia. The test is used... 

This chapter outlines the background to 3 very fast bioassays based on luminescent bacteria. These tests are simple, precise, repeatable, portable, and require few services, including electricity. For these tests the freeze-dried test organisms are available at any time for immediate use the only parameter to measure is light. 

Lahti et al. (1995) assessed three bioassays to determine which were the ones allowing a rapid detection of cyanobacterial hepatoxins and neurotoxins (Lahti et al., 1995). Anemia salina, luminescent bacteria, and Pseudomonasputida were evaluated and compared. The study showed that only the A. salina test detected the toxicity of microcystins, nodularin, and AN. Moreover, it also showed that hepatotoxins cause larvae death whereas AN only affects the ability of the larvae to move forward. Therefore, this assay can be used as an indicator but obviously not for quantification. 

Step 4 Compost analysis for conventional parameters determining any quality change compared with the blind and ecotoxicity test using at least two plant species if negative influences are detected additional bioassays should be performed using more plant species, daphnia, water lens, luminescent bacteria or special local species. 

A feasibility study on the potential use of a luminescent bacteria bioassay in the toxicity screening oftrichothecenes is presented. The toxic effects of four 12,13-epoxytrichothecenes to bioluminescent bacteria were determined for the first time using the Microtox " Toxicity Analyzer (TM Trademark of Microbics Corporation, Carlsbad, California). The influence of test temperature and exposure time on the toxic effect oftrichothecenes to the luminescent bacteria are discussed. The toxicities measured are compared with toxic effects determined using other bioassays. Potential relationships between the toxicities found and variations in the chemical structure of these compounds are considered. 

Step 4 Determination of ecotoxic effects using bioassays compatible with the degradation environment for example three plant species for soil applications or daphnia and two algae species for freshwater applications or marine algae and luminescent bacteria for marine applications. 

Other applications dealt with the development of a luciferin ester substrate to measure the luciferase activity in living cells [141], the detection of toxic compounds such as sodium azide, fluoroacetic acid, and antibiotics [142], the development of a biosensor for the determination of bioavailable mercury [143], the use of eukaryotic luciferases as bacterial markers with different colors of luminescence [144], the determination of complement-mediated killing of bacteria [145], and the development of a bioassay for the determination of HIV type 1 virus and HIV-1 Tat protein activity, valuable also for analysis of HlV-inhibi-tory agents [146],... 

To estimate water quality, bioluminescent biosensors have been devised and successfully used. They are characterized by rapidity and simplicity of use, high sensitivity, and accuracy. The Collection of Luminous Bacteria IBSO (http //www.bdt.org.brA3dt/msdn/ibso) is being used to develop bioassays for monitoring the environment, using lyophilized luminous bacteria and the luminescent system isolated from them. Bioluminescent assays have an advantage over other biological assays luminescence is easy to measure, the method is rapid, and the measurements can be automated. 

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