>Actually, I have transferred Gram-negative bacteria to dH20 and have left them
>for over 20 days AT 25oC. There was no evidence of cell lysis and infact 2-D
>SDS-PAGE reveal the production of numerous proteins not observed in the
>control culture (before transfer). It is speculated that these proteins may
>be involved in adapting the bacterium to the hypo osmotic environment.
>What I really wanted to know is what physiological adaptations could occur to
>allow the bacterium to survive such a stress.
A change in porin size or composition? Just a wild guess! I'm working
on antibiotic resistance, and there it is a very common phenomenon,
especially among gram-negatives.
Monica
