Generation time in mouse large intestine

Range 40-80 min
Organism Bacteria Escherichia coli
Reference Peekhaus N, Conway T. What's for dinner?: Entner-Doudoroff metabolism in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1998 Jul180(14):3495-502. p. 3496 left column 2nd paragraphPubMed ID9657988
Primary Source Poulsen LK, Licht TR, Rang C, Krogfelt KA, Molin S. Physiological state of Escherichia coli BJ4 growing in the large intestines of streptomycin-treated mice. J Bacteriol. 1995 Oct177(20):5840-5.PubMed ID7592332
Method (primary source) Growth rates of Escherichia coli BJ4 colonizing the large intestine of streptomycin-treated mice were estimated by quantitative hybridization with rRNA target probes and by epifluorescence microscopy.
Comments By using ribosome numbers as a measure of the growth rate of E. coli in the mouse large intestine, a generation time of 40 to 80 min was verified (primary source). Since E. coli can grow rapidly in mucus, but not in feces, Poulsen et al. (primary source) proposed that there are at least two populations of E. coli in the large intestine, one embedded in the mucus layer with an apparent generation time of approximately 1 h and another which is essentially static with respect to growth, sloughed into the luminal contents, and excreted in the feces. See BNID 105656
Entered by Uri M
ID 105657