Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Ethanol tolerance in bacteria.

L O Ingram1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.

Critical Reviews in Biotechnology
|January 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ethanol harms bacteria by increasing plasma membrane leakage, affecting growth and viability. Microbial ethanol tolerance largely depends on adaptive changes in cell membrane composition.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Fermentation of sweet sorghum derived sugars to butyric acid at high titer and productivity by a moderate thermophile Clostridium thermobutyricum at 50°C.

Bioresource technology·2015
Same author

Removing chiral contamination of lactate solutions by selective metabolism of the D-enantiomer.

Biotechnology letters·2015
Same author

Seed train development for the fermentation of bagasse from sweet sorghum and sugarcane using a simplified fermentation process.

Bioresource technology·2013
Same author

Increased furfural tolerance due to overexpression of NADH-dependent oxidoreductase FucO in Escherichia coli strains engineered for the production of ethanol and lactate.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2011
Same author

Injection of air into the headspace improves fermentation of phosphoric acid pretreated sugarcane bagasse by Escherichia coli MM170.

Bioresource technology·2011
Same author

Effect of reduced sulfur compounds on the fermentation of phosphoric acid pretreated sugarcane bagasse by ethanologenic Escherichia coli.

Bioresource technology·2011
Same journal

Sustainable and green novel sorbent-based immobilization of PFAS and their enhanced adsorption to treat environmental contamination.

Critical reviews in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Advances, challenges, and opportunities in engineering C5 and C6 sugar transporters in yeast for bio-based industrial biotechnology.

Critical reviews in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Microbial engineering for the conversion of C1 feedstocks into value-added bioproducts: recent advances and perspectives.

Critical reviews in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

A step forward toward improved cold tolerance in rice: integrating physiological insights with cutting-edge genomic approaches.

Critical reviews in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Emerging role of nanotechnology in the protection of BT biopesticide from UV radiations.

Critical reviews in biotechnology·2026
Same journal

Tuning molecular weight of poly-γ-glutamic acid: advanced biosynthetic engineering approaches and diversified applications.

Critical reviews in biotechnology·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Ethanol exerts adverse effects on bacterial growth, viability, and metabolism.
  • These effects are primarily attributed to ethanol-induced plasma membrane leakage.
  • The biophysical properties of membranes in ethanolic solutions explain increased leakage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying ethanol's adverse effects on bacteria.
  • To investigate the role of cell membrane composition in microbial ethanol tolerance.
  • To clarify the differential tolerance of various cellular activities to ethanol.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of ethanol's impact on bacterial plasma membrane integrity.
  • Assessment of adaptive and evolutionary changes in cell membrane composition.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative study of ethanol tolerance across different cellular functions.

    • Main Results:

    • Ethanol's primary action stems from colligative effects at high concentrations, not specific receptor interactions.
    • Bacterial ethanol tolerance is significantly influenced by adaptive changes in cell membrane composition.
    • Cellular activities exhibit varying tolerance to ethanol, with growth being most sensitive, followed by survival, and then glycolysis.

    Conclusions:

    • Ethanol-induced plasma membrane leakage is the principal cause of its detrimental effects on bacteria.
    • Microbial adaptation to ethanol involves modifications in cell membrane composition.
    • Defining specific cellular functions is crucial for accurate comparisons of ethanol tolerance.