Lack of intracellular bubble formation in microorganisms at very high gas supersaturations

Abstract

Eucaryotic unicellular (a yeast, a cellular slime mold, and various protozoans) and two multicellular (aschelminths) microorganisms were saturated with gas at high pressures and rapidly decompressed. No effect was observed with pressures of argon up to 125 atm, nitrogen up to 175 atm, and helium up to 350 atm, showing that the induced gas supersaturations did not cause intracellular bubbles to form. With 25--50 atm higher gas pressures, the decompression usually produced killing and cell rupture, although differences in tolerances existed among the various organisms. Substantial fractions of the populations survived gas supersaturations well above the threshold values for massive spontaneous nucleation of bubbles in the water. When killing occurred, external rather than internal bubbles appeared to be the cause. Even with the 300 atm argon or nitrogen pressures, yeast cells were unaffected, apparently because of the external protection provided by their cell wall. It is concluded that the gas supersaturations required for intracellular formation of bubbles generally are at least equal to and probably higher than the bubble nucleation thresholds for water or aqueous solutions.