Influence of Antibiotic Pressure on Five Plasmid-based Bioluminescent Gram-negative Bacterial Strains

The present study aims to develop five Gram-negative bacteria expressing bacterial luciferase for use to evaluate the influence of different antibiotics on bacterial bioluminescence.

The pBBR-lux plasmid was introduced into five Gram-negative bacteria; the bioluminescent signals and colony-forming unit (CFU)/ml of all the bioluminescent strains were monitored with six antibiotics at various concentrations.

Dose-dependent bioluminescence signals can be used for rapid bacterial antibiotic susceptibility test (AST). All five bioluminescent bacterial strains have similar bioluminescence and CFU enhancement at sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of six different antibiotics.

The bioluminescent signals and CFU enhancement at sub-MIC antibiotic concentrations should be of value in the research of new antibiotic drugs and bioluminescent imaging.