Skip to main content
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1987 Feb;31(2):178–182. doi: 10.1128/aac.31.2.178

Alterations in peptidoglycan of Neisseria gonorrhoeae induced by sub-MICs of beta-lactam antibiotics.

J F Garcia-Bustos, T J Dougherty
PMCID: PMC174687  PMID: 3105447

Abstract

Exposure of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to sub-MICs of selected beta-lactam antibiotics caused distortion of normal cell morphology. Analysis of the peptidoglycan indicated that the cells were accumulating increased quantities of disaccharide pentapeptide in their cell walls. The O-acetylated form of the disaccharide pentapeptide was not detected among the major peaks. The correlation of antibiotic binding to gonococcal penicillin-binding protein 2 and accumulation of non-O-acetylated disaccharide pentapeptide suggested an explanation for the previously observed relationship of penicillin-binding protein 2 and O-acetylation of peptidoglycan.

Full text

PDF
178

Selected References

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

  1. Blundell J. K., Perkins H. R. The peptidoglycan of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, with or without O-acetyl groups, contains anhydro-muramyl residues. J Gen Microbiol. 1985 Dec;131(12):3397–3400. doi: 10.1099/00221287-131-12-3397. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dougherty T. J. Analysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae peptidoglycan by reverse-phase, high-pressure liquid chromatography. J Bacteriol. 1985 Jul;163(1):69–74. doi: 10.1128/jb.163.1.69-74.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dougherty T. J. Involvement of a change in penicillin target and peptidoglycan structure in low-level resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1985 Jul;28(1):90–95. doi: 10.1128/aac.28.1.90. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ghuysen J. M., Bricas E., Lache M., Leyh-Bouille M. Structure of the cell walls of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. 3. Isolation of a new peptide dimer, N-alpha-[L-alanyl-gamma-(alpha-D-glutamylglycine)]-L-lysyl-D-alanyl-N-alpha-[L-alanyl-gamma-(alpha-D-glutamylglycine)]-L-lysyl-D-alanine. Biochemistry. 1968 Apr;7(4):1450–1460. doi: 10.1021/bi00844a030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gmeiner J., Essig P., Martin H. H. Characterization of minor fragments after digestion of Escherichia coli murein with endo-N,O-diacetylmuramidase from Chalaropsis, and determination of glycan chain length. FEBS Lett. 1982 Feb 8;138(1):109–112. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(82)80406-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Goodell E. W., Markiewicz Z., Schwarz U. Absence of oligomeric murein intermediates in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1983 Oct;156(1):130–135. doi: 10.1128/jb.156.1.130-135.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hebeler B. H., Young F. E. Chemical composition and turnover of peptidoglycan in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1976 Jun;126(3):1180–1185. doi: 10.1128/jb.126.3.1180-1185.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lear A. L., Perkins H. R. Degrees of O-acetylation and cross-linking of the peptidoglycan of Neisseria gonorrhoeae during growth. J Gen Microbiol. 1983 Mar;129(3):885–888. doi: 10.1099/00221287-129-3-885. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lorian V., Atkinson B. Effects of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on cross walls of cocci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 Jun;9(6):1043–1055. doi: 10.1128/aac.9.6.1043. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mett H., Bracha R., Mirelman D. Soluble nascent peptidoglycan in growing Escherichia coli cells. J Biol Chem. 1980 Oct 25;255(20):9884–9890. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rosenthal R. S., Gfell M. A., Folkening W. J. Influence of protein synthesis inhibitors on regulation of extent of O-acetylation of gonococcal peptidoglycan. Infect Immun. 1985 Jul;49(1):7–13. doi: 10.1128/iai.49.1.7-13.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sparling P. F., Sarubbi F. A., Jr, Blackman E. Inheritance of low-level resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1975 Nov;124(2):740–749. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.2.740-749.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Spratt B. G. Biochemical and genetical approaches to the mechanism of action of penicillin. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1980 May 16;289(1036):273–283. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1980.0045. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Swanson J. Studies on gonococcus infection. XII. Colony color and opacity varienats of gonococci. Infect Immun. 1978 Jan;19(1):320–331. doi: 10.1128/iai.19.1.320-331.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES