U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research: Wyndmoor, PA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    About ERRC
                        Greetings from the Director
                                    Directions/Lodging
                                    History and Accomplishments
                    Our Work
                        Biomass Pyrolysis Research
                                    IPMP 2013
                                    IPMP Dynamic Prediction
                                    IPMP Global Fit
                                    Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP)
                                    Predictive Microbiology Information Portal (PMIP)
                                    PoultryFARMSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Northeast Area Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania Eastern Regional Research Center Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Gurtler, Joshuaitem
                                            NICHOLSON, APRIL - Delaware State Universityitem
                                            Douds, Daviditem
                                            Niemira, Brendan
  Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
                                    Publication Type: Abstract Only
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2012
                                    Publication  Date: 7/22/2012
                                    Citation: Gurtler, J., Nicholson, A., Douds, D.D., Niemira, B.A. 2012. Influence of mycorrhizal fungi (glomus intraradices) on survival of Salmonella and E.coli 0157:H7 in soil and translocation into romaine lettuce roots and shoot. Meeting Abstract. International Association of Food Protection Annual Meeting, Providence. Rhode Island., July 2012.Interpretive Summary:
                                Technical Abstract: Modern agriculture practices disrupt the natural symbiotic relationship that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have with most vegetable plants, which may affect translocation of human pathogens into the plant and/or survival in the soil.  AM-fungi are frequently utilized in organic farming to improve plant productivity, soil quality and to increase drought resistance.

The influence of AM-fungi (AMF) on survival of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC) in soil and translocation into plant roots and shoot was determined.

Six-week-old Romaine lettuce plants (with or without AMF [Glomus intraradices]) were inoculated (8 ml per plant) with composite suspensions of Salmonella or EHEC (8 log CFU/plant).  Samples were taken one day following inoculation and then weekly up to 22 days.  Samples were plated on XLT4PN and tcSMACPN.  Pre-enrichments were made in TSBPN, while secondary enrichments were in TTPN for Salmonella and a novel TSBselect broth for EHEC.     

Salmonella and EHEC both internalized Romaine roots and shoots for up to 22 days following inoculation.  Overall, there was little difference in pathogen populations between AMF-positive and AMF-negative roots, shoots, and soil.  This is in contrast to results obtained from previous studies using a leek model.  Salmonella populations were higher than EHEC (p less than 0.05) for 63% of all root and shoot samples; while final populations of the two pathogens in the soil at day 22 were ca. 4.3 and 1.2 log CFU/g, respectively.  Selective enrichment samples (96%) for plant tissue were positive for Salmonella on day 22, while only 29% of EHEC enrichments were positive.  Soil samples (100%) were positive for Salmonella by selective enrichment, and 83% were positive for EHEC by day 22.

These results are the first to suggest that AM-fungi do not influence the internalization of pathogens in Romaine seedlings, which provides some assurance of the safe application of AMF in modern agricultural practices.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov