Quasi-elastic neutron scattering studies on bacterial spores and their hydration water

Spores are bacteria passed into a metabolically dormant state due to starvation and awaiting better external conditions to germinate and colonize the medium again. Their resistance to numerous stress factors is amazing and the reasons behind are still not completely unveiled. Water seems to play an important role for that, as hydration inside the spores is reduced but paired with a remarkable water mobility. To learn more about these facts, we applied a sophisticated approach: we first analysed neutron scattering spectra of whole spores, then we subtracted spectra corresponding to proteins, lipids and sugars to obtain results as close as possible to the water signal. Our procedure revealed strongly reduced rotational dynamics of the proteome, but a high mobility of water molecules and small molecular subgroups at the sub-nanosecond time scale. Such combination might be key to explain the dormant state of spores which is vigilant to revive in adapted conditions.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2026-03-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44676-1
Primary Topic
Enzyme Structure and Function
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering studies on bacterial spores and their hydration water

Fatima Fekraoui, Michael Marek Koza, Tatsuhito Matsuo, Francesca Natali et al.
Scientific Reports
Enzyme Structure and Function
article

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering studies on bacterial spores and their hydration water

Fatima Fekraoui, Michael Marek Koza, Tatsuhito Matsuo, Francesca Natali, John A. Peters, Alexandre Colas de la noue, Jean-Marie Perrier-Cornet, Tilo Seydel
article en

Abstract

Spores are bacteria passed into a metabolically dormant state due to starvation and awaiting better external conditions to germinate and colonize the medium again. Their resistance to numerous stress factors is amazing and the reasons behind are still not completely unveiled. Water seems to play an important role for that, as hydration inside the spores is reduced but paired with a remarkable water mobility. To learn more about these facts, we applied a sophisticated approach: we first analysed neutron scattering spectra of whole spores, then we subtracted spectra corresponding to proteins, lipids and sugars to obtain results as close as possible to the water signal. Our procedure revealed strongly reduced rotational dynamics of the proteome, but a high mobility of water molecules and small molecular subgroups at the sub-nanosecond time scale. Such combination might be key to explain the dormant state of spores which is vigilant to revive in adapted conditions.

Scientific Reports
Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (FR), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (FR), Institut Universitaire de France (FR), Université d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse (FR), Université de Montpellier (FR), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Institut Laue-Langevin (FR), Hiroshima International University (JP), Institut Agro Dijon (FR), Institut Agro Montpelier (FR), Association pour l'Utilisation du Rein Artificiel (FR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Enzyme Structure and Function
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