Enrichment cultureEnrichment culture is the use of certain growth media to favor the growth of a particular microorganism over others, enriching a sample for the microorganism of interest. This is generally done by introducing nutrients or environmental conditions that only allow the growth of an organism of interest. Enrichment cultures are used to increase a small number of desired organisms to detectable levels. This allows for the detection and identification of microorganisms with a variety of nutritional needs.
Unité formant colonieEn microbiologie, une unité formant colonie ou une unité formatrice de colonie (UFC) est utilisée pour estimer le nombre de bactéries ou de cellules fongiques viables dans un échantillon. La viabilité est définie comme la capacité de se multiplier via la fission binaire dans des conditions contrôlées. Le comptage d'UFC nécessite la culture des microorganismes et ne porte que sur les cellules viables, contrairement à d'autres analyses telles que la microscopie à épifluorescence ou la cytométrie en flux (qui compte toutes les cellules, vivantes ou mortes).
Isolation (microbiology)In microbiology, the term isolation refers to the separation of a strain from a natural, mixed population of living microbes, as present in the environment, for example in water or soil, or from living beings with skin flora, oral flora or gut flora, in order to identify the microbe(s) of interest. Historically, the laboratory techniques of isolation first developed in the field of bacteriology and parasitology (during the 19th century), before those in virology during the 20th century.
Anthrax toxinAnthrax toxin is a three-protein exotoxin secreted by virulent strains of the bacterium, Bacillus anthracis—the causative agent of anthrax. The toxin was first discovered by Harry Smith in 1954. Anthrax toxin is composed of a cell-binding protein, known as protective antigen (PA), and two enzyme components, called edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF). These three protein components act together to impart their physiological effects. Assembled complexes containing the toxin components are endocytosed.
Pore-forming toxinPore-forming proteins (PFTs, also known as pore-forming toxins) are usually produced by bacteria, and include a number of protein exotoxins but may also be produced by other organisms such as apple snails that produce perivitellin-2 or earthworms, who produce lysenin. They are frequently cytotoxic (i.e., they kill cells), as they create unregulated pores in the membrane of targeted cells. PFTs can be divided into two categories, depending on the alpha-helical or beta-barrel architecture of their transmembrane channel that can consist either of Alpha-pore-forming toxins e.
BactérieLe terme bactérie est un nom vernaculaire qui désigne certains organismes vivants microscopiques et procaryotes présents dans tous les milieux. Le plus souvent unicellulaires, elles sont parfois pluricellulaires (généralement filamenteuses), la plupart des espèces bactériennes ne vivant pas individuellement en suspension, mais en communautés complexes adhérant à des surfaces au sein d'un gel muqueux (biofilm). vignette|200px|Coques à gauche, Spirillum au centre, bacille à droite.
