Effects of Water Treatment Methods on Protein Profile of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Escherichia coli Non-O157 Isolated from Drinking Water Sources in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Aim: To examine the effects of water treatment methods on the protein profile of Escherichia coli O157 and Escherichia coli non-O157 isolated from different drinking water sources in Ado-Ekiti.

Study Design: Experimental study design.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, between December 2015 and June 2016.

Methodology: The test organisms, E. coli O157 and E. coli non-O157, were charged against some water treatment methods such as silver nitrate, sunlight, low and high temperature and varied pH using standard methods. Protein expression profiles of these organisms, before and after exposure, were studied with cell crude proteins extract using standard SDS-PAGE method. Statistical analysis was carried out on the data generated using correlation matrix.

Results: The survivability testing showed that E. coli O157 survived better than E. coli non-O157. Silver nitrate, among all other agents used, exhibited the most lethal effect on both serotypes. The protein profile of the two serotypes was similar before their exposure (r = 0.9897, P-value = 0.941), while after their exposure, they exhibited different characteristic responses (r = 0.693, P-value = 0.018).

Conclusion: This study showed that the treatment methods had effects on the expression of bacterial protein profile following exposure.