Release of intracellular solutes by four soil bacteria exposed to dilutionstress

The physiological mechanisms utilized by soil bacteria for acclimation to s udden increases in soil water potential are poorly understood. In this stud y, we examined the physiological responses of soil isolates of Pseudomonas chlororaphis, P. fluorescens, Bacillus pumulis, and Streptomyces griseus to a sudden increase in solution water potential (dilution). Bacterial isolat es were cultured at a low solute water potential (-3.0 MPa) and subjected t o rapid water potential increases of 0.5 to 2.0 MPa. The small amount of pr otein and DIVA released bg a 2.0 MPa dilution suggests that water potential increases up to 2.0 MPa did not cause significant cell lysis. In response to dilution, intracellular solutes were released into the extracellular env ironment rather than polymerized into osmotically less-active compounds or catabolized to CO2. In general, the Gram-positive isolates B. pumulis and S . griseus were more tolerant to dilution than the Pseudomonas spp., since d ilution had no effect on culturability, and the amount of solutes released was small (<10% of the intracellular solute pool). The Pseudomonas spp. rel eased a maximum of 22 to 26% of their amino acid pool and 54 to 60% of thei r low molecular weight neutral sugar pool. The amounts of amino acids and l ow molecular weight carbohydrates released and the reduction in culturabili ty was, in general, proportional to the magnitude of dilution. Pseudomonas fluorescens tolerated a 0.5 MPa water potential increase, but water potenti al shocks of greater magnitude resulted in a large reduction in culturabili ty and an increase in the amount of solutes released. These results suggest that a potential source of mineralizable C following the wetting of dry so ils is the release of organic compatible solutes from the microbial communi ty.