Burkholderia cepacia is a Gram-negative bacterium. Gram staining is a widely used staining technique in microbiology to differentiate bacteria based on their cell wall composition. It involves a series of steps that include staining with crystal violet, iodine treatment, alcohol decolorization, and counterstaining with safranin.
When Gram-staining Burkholderia cepacia cultures, the following observations can be made under a microscope:
Crystal Violet Staining: Initially, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria will appear purple due to the crystal violet staining. Burkholderia cepacia will also take up the crystal violet dye.
Iodine Treatment: Iodine acts as a mordant and forms a complex with the crystal violet, making it less soluble. This step does not significantly alter the appearance of Burkholderia cepacia.
Alcohol Decolorization: This is a critical step in Gram staining as it differentiates between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria like Burkholderia cepacia have a thinner peptidoglycan layer and an outer membrane that is easily penetrated by alcohol. As a result, the crystal violet-iodine complex is washed out from the Gram-negative cells, causing them to lose the purple color.
Counterstaining with Safranin: In the final step, the cells are counterstained with safranin, a red dye. Gram-negative bacteria like Burkholderia cepacia will take up the safranin and appear red or pink under the microscope.
In summary, Burkholderia cepacia will appear as red or pink cells after Gram staining due to their Gram-negative nature. It's important to note that Gram staining is just one method of bacterial identification, and further tests such as biochemical assays or molecular techniques may be necessary for accurate identification of Burkholderia cepacia.
Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC),
Gram-negative bacteria,
Opportunistic pathogen,
Nosocomial infections,
Cystic fibrosis,
Multidrug-resistant,
Biofilm formation,
Antibiotic resistance,
Soil bacterium,
Environmental contaminant,
Hospital-acquired infections,
Virulence factors,
Pulmonary infections,
Lung colonization,
Epidemic strain,
