Skip to main content
PMC home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1967 Oct;105(1):371–378. doi: 10.1042/bj1050371

Resistance of Escherichia coli to tetracyclines. Changes in permeability to tetracyclines in Escherichia coli bearing transferable resistance factors

T J Franklin 1
PMCID: PMC1198309  PMID: 4861886

Abstract

1. When strains of Escherichia coli, bearing transferable factors for resistance to the tetracyclines (R-factors), and previously cultured in the absence of the tetracyclines, are grown for 15–30min. in a low, subinhibitory, concentration (10μg./ml.) of oxytetracycline or tetracycline, there is a rapid and striking increase in resistance to oxytetracycline or tetracycline, this being associated with a marked fall in the absorption of the drug by the cells. 2. Very short preincubation (1min.) with oxytetracycline, followed by growth for 15–30min. in drug-free medium, produces a marked fall in the absorption of the drug by the resistant cells. Preincubation for 30min. with very low concentrations (0·05μg./ml.) of oxytetracycline produces a similar effect. 3. β-Apo-oxytetracycline, which has very little antibacterial activity, also induces a decreased absorption of oxytetracycline. 4. The ability to exclude oxytetracycline is retained by preincubated resistant cells after growth for 2hr. in drug-free medium. However, after growth for 16hr. in drug-free medium, the cells absorb oxytetracycline freely. 5. Chloramphenicol and proflavine inhibit the adaptive decrease in tetracycline absorption. 5-Fluorouracil has only a slight effect. 6. Spheroplasts prepared from resistant cells show an impaired response to preincubation with tetracycline, compared with intact cells. 7. The relevance of these results to the probable mechanism of tetracycline resistance in R-factor-bearing E. coli is discussed.

Full text

PDF
371

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BROCKMAN R. W., ANDERSON E. P. BIOCHEMISTRY OF CANCER (METABOLIC ASPECTS). Annu Rev Biochem. 1963;32:463–512. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.32.070163.002335. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BUSSARD A., NAONO S., GROS F., MONOD J. [Effects of an analog of uracil on the properties of an enzymatic protein synthesized in its presence]. C R Hebd Seances Acad Sci. 1960 Jun 13;250:4049–4051. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bishop D. H., Roche C., Nisman B. Induction of alkaline phosphatase in a subcellular preparation from Escherichia coli. Biochem J. 1964 Feb;90(2):378–391. doi: 10.1042/bj0900378. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FRANKLIN T. J., GODFREY A. RESISTANCE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI TO TETRACYCLINES. Biochem J. 1965 Jan;94:54–60. doi: 10.1042/bj0940054. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. FRANKLIN T. J. The inhibition of incorporation of leucine into protein of cell-free systems from rat liver and Escherichia coli by chlortetracycline. Biochem J. 1963 Jun;87:449–453. doi: 10.1042/bj0870449. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HOROWITZ J., CHARGAFF E. Massive incorporation of 5-fluorouracil into a bacterial ribonucleic acid. Nature. 1959 Oct 17;184:1213–1215. doi: 10.1038/1841213a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. IZAKI K., ARIMA K. DISAPPEARANCE OF OXYTETRACYCLINE ACCUMULATION IN THE CELLS OF MULTIPLE DRUG-RESISTANT ESCHERICHIA COLI. Nature. 1963 Oct 26;200:384–385. doi: 10.1038/200384a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. IZAKI K., ARIMA K. EFFECT OF VARIOUS CONDITIONS ON ACCUMULATION OF OXYTETRACYCLINE IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Bacteriol. 1965 May;89:1335–1339. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.5.1335-1339.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Izaki K., Kiuchi K., Arima K. Specificity and mechanism of tetracycline resistance in a multiple drug resistant strain of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1966 Feb;91(2):628–633. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.2.628-633.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kaback H. R., Stadtman E. R. Proline uptake by an isolated cytoplasmic membrane preparation of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Apr;55(4):920–927. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.4.920. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Unowsky J., Rachmeler M. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance determined by resistance-transfer factors. J Bacteriol. 1966 Aug;92(2):358–365. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.2.358-365.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Williamson J. R., Lacy P. E., Taylor K. W. Appendix: Electron miscroscopy of islets Of langerhans in rabbit pancreas slices incubated in vitro. Biochem J. 1967 Mar;102(3):928–928.2. doi: 10.1042/bj1020928. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES