Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1984 May;158(2):597–602. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.2.597-602.1984

Attachment of diaminopimelic acid to bdelloplast peptidoglycan during intraperiplasmic growth of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J.

E G Ruby, S C Rittenberg
PMCID: PMC215470  PMID: 6202674

Abstract

An early event in the predatory lifestyle of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J is the attachment of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) to the peptidoglycan of its prey. Attachment occurs over the first 60 min of the growth cycle and is mediated by an extracellular activity(s) produced by the bdellovibrio. Some 40,000 DAP residues are incorporated into the Escherichia coli bdelloplast wall, amounting to ca. 2 to 3% of the total initial DAP content of its prey cells. Incorporation of DAP occurs when E. coli, Pseudomonas putida, or Spirillum serpens are the prey organisms. The structurally similar compounds lysine, ornithine, citrulline, and 2,4-diaminobutyric acid are not attached. The attachment process is not affected by heat-killing the prey nor by the addition of inhibitors of either energy generation (cyanide, azide, or arsenate), protein or RNA synthesis (chloramphenicol and rifamycin), or de novo synthesis of cell wall (penicillin or vancomycin). Approximately one-third of the incorporated DAP is exchangeable with exogenously added unlabeled DAP, whereas the remaining incorporated DPA is solubilized only during the lysis of the bdelloplast wall. Examination of DAP incorporation at low prey cell densities suggests that bdellovibrios closely couple the incorporation to an independent, enzymatic solubilization of DAP by a peptidase. The data indicate that DAP incorporation is a novel process, representing the second example of the ability of the bdellovibrio to biosynthetically modify the wall of its prey.

Full text

PDF
597

Selected References

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

  1. Gadkari D., Stolp H. Energy metabolism of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. I. Energy production, ATP pool, energy charge. Arch Microbiol. 1975 Mar 10;102(3):179–185. doi: 10.1007/BF00428366. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Hespell R. B. Intraperiplasmic growth of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus on heat-treated Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1978 Mar;133(3):1156–1162. doi: 10.1128/jb.133.3.1156-1162.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hespell R. B., Rosson R. A., Thomashow M. F., Rittenberg S. C. Respiration of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus strain 109J and its energy substrates for intraperiplasmic growth. J Bacteriol. 1973 Mar;113(3):1280–1288. doi: 10.1128/jb.113.3.1280-1288.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kimchi A., Rosenberg E. Linkages between deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis and cell division in Myxococcus xanthus. J Bacteriol. 1976 Oct;128(1):69–79. doi: 10.1128/jb.128.1.69-79.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Rittenberg S. C., Hespell R. B. Energy efficiency of intraperiplasmic growth of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. J Bacteriol. 1975 Mar;121(3):1158–1165. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.3.1158-1165.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Rogers H. J. Peptidoglycans (mucopeptides): structure, function, and variations. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1974 May 10;235(0):29–51. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1974.tb43255.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ruby E. G., Rittenberg S. C. Differentiation after premature release of intraperiplasmically growing Bdellovibrio bacteriovorous. J Bacteriol. 1983 Apr;154(1):32–40. doi: 10.1128/jb.154.1.32-40.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Stokes G. V. Formation and destruction of internal membranes in L cells infected with Chlamydia psittaci. Infect Immun. 1973 Feb;7(2):173–177. doi: 10.1128/iai.7.2.173-177.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Thomashow M. F., Rittenberg S. C. Intraperiplasmic growth of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J: N-deacetylation of Escherichia coli peptidoglycan amino sugars. J Bacteriol. 1978 Sep;135(3):1008–1014. doi: 10.1128/jb.135.3.1008-1014.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Thomashow M. F., Rittenberg S. C. Intraperiplasmic growth of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J: attachment of long-chain fatty acids to escherichia coli peptidoglycan. J Bacteriol. 1978 Sep;135(3):1015–1023. doi: 10.1128/jb.135.3.1015-1023.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Thomashow M. F., Rittenberg S. C. Intraperiplasmic growth of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J: solubilization of Escherichia coli peptidoglycan. J Bacteriol. 1978 Sep;135(3):998–1007. doi: 10.1128/jb.135.3.998-1007.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Thomashow M. F., Rittenberg S. C. Penicillin-induced formation of osmotically stable spheroplasts in nongrowing Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. J Bacteriol. 1978 Mar;133(3):1484–1491. doi: 10.1128/jb.133.3.1484-1491.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Varon M., Shil M. Interacton of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and host bacteria. I. Kinetic studies of attachment and invasion of Escherichia coli B by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. J Bacteriol. 1968 Mar;95(3):744–753. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.3.744-753.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES