The effect of growth conditions on survival and recovery of Klebsiella oxytoca after exposure to chlorine

A strain of Klebsiella oxytoca isolated from within Sydneyʹs water distribution system was grown under a range of physiological conditions including batch cultures and continuous culture under both carbon and nitrogen limitation. Cells were then exposed to varying concentrations of total chlorine. The initial growth conditions affected the ability of cells to survive. Cells grown under batch conditions in a medium containing mineral salts and yeast extract were the most resistant. The resistance to chlorine was not related to the presence of polysaccharide or differences in protein levels but to the formation of aggregates. The initial growth conditions also influenced the recovery of cells after the removal of chlorine stress.