Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1983 Apr;154(1):170–176. doi: 10.1128/jb.154.1.170-176.1983

Escherichia coli mutants with an altered sensitivity to cecropin D.

I Sidén, H G Boman
PMCID: PMC217444  PMID: 6339470

Abstract

Cecropins are a family of small, basic antibacterial polypeptides which can be isolated from pupae of immunized Lepidoptera. They are active against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. We studied a mutant of Escherichia coli, strain SB1004, which is more sensitive to cecropin D than is the parental strain. The mutant was selected as resistant to a host range mutant of a Serratia marcescens phage. When the protein composition of the outer membrane was examined, strain SB1004 and some other phage-resistant mutants were found to be deficient in the OmpC protein. It was concluded that the OmpC protein is the receptor of the phage. Strain SB1004 was found to differ from other ompC mutants in being especially sensitive to hydrophobic antibiotics and to cecropin D. Furthermore, strain SB1004 has a tendency for spontaneous autolysis. A genetic analysis showed the mutations in strain SB1004 and a suppressor mutant to map in the ompC region. The activity of cecropin D against different strains of E. coli was specifically enhanced when divalent cations were absent. No such effect was found with cecropins A and B, which are less hydrophobic than the D form.

Full text

PDF
170

Images in this article

173Image
on p.173

Selected References

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

  1. Bachmann B. J., Low K. B. Linkage map of Escherichia coli K-12, edition 6. Microbiol Rev. 1980 Mar;44(1):1–56. doi: 10.1128/mr.44.1.1-56.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bachmann B. J. Pedigrees of some mutant strains of Escherichia coli K-12. Bacteriol Rev. 1972 Dec;36(4):525–557. doi: 10.1128/br.36.4.525-557.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bassford P. J., Jr, Diedrich D. L., Schnaitman C. L., Reeves P. Outer membrane proteins of Escherichia coli. VI. Protein alteration in bacteriophage-resistant mutants. J Bacteriol. 1977 Aug;131(2):608–622. doi: 10.1128/jb.131.2.608-622.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bayer M. E., Leive L. Effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetate upon the surface of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1977 Jun;130(3):1364–1381. doi: 10.1128/jb.130.3.1364-1381.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Boman H. G., Monner D. A. Characterization of lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli K-12 mutants. J Bacteriol. 1975 Feb;121(2):455–464. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.2.455-464.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Boman H. G., Nilsson-Faye I., Paul K., Rasmuson T., Jr Insect immunity. I. Characteristics of an inducible cell-free antibacterial reaction in hemolymph of Samia cynthia pupae. Infect Immun. 1974 Jul;10(1):136–145. doi: 10.1128/iai.10.1.136-145.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Coleman W. G., Jr, Leive L. Two mutations which affect the barrier function of the Escherichia coli K-12 outer membrane. J Bacteriol. 1979 Sep;139(3):899–910. doi: 10.1128/jb.139.3.899-910.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Datta D. B., Arden B., Henning U. Major proteins of the Escherichia coli outer cell envelope membrane as bacteriophage receptors. J Bacteriol. 1977 Sep;131(3):821–829. doi: 10.1128/jb.131.3.821-829.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Faye I., Pye A., Rasmuson T., Boman H. G., Boman I. A. Insect immunity. 11. Simultaneous induction of antibacterial activity and selection synthesis of some hemolymph proteins in diapausing pupae of Hyalophora cecropia and Samia cynthia. Infect Immun. 1975 Dec;12(6):1426–1438. doi: 10.1128/iai.12.6.1426-1438.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Filip C., Fletcher G., Wulff J. L., Earhart C. F. Solubilization of the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli by the ionic detergent sodium-lauryl sarcosinate. J Bacteriol. 1973 Sep;115(3):717–722. doi: 10.1128/jb.115.3.717-722.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Flyg C., Kenne K., Boman H. G. Insect pathogenic properties of Serratia marcescens: phage-resistant mutants with a decreased resistance to Cecropia immunity and a decreased virulence to Drosophila. J Gen Microbiol. 1980 Sep;120(1):173–181. doi: 10.1099/00221287-120-1-173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Grundström T., Normark S., Magnusson K. E. Overproduction of outer membrane protein suppresses envA-induced hyperpermeability. J Bacteriol. 1980 Dec;144(3):884–890. doi: 10.1128/jb.144.3.884-890.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hultmark D., Engström A., Bennich H., Kapur R., Boman H. G. Insect immunity: isolation and structure of cecropin D and four minor antibacterial components from Cecropia pupae. Eur J Biochem. 1982 Sep;127(1):207–217. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1982.tb06857.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Leive L. Studies on the permeability change produced in coliform bacteria by ethylenediaminetetraacetate. J Biol Chem. 1968 May 10;243(9):2373–2380. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nikaido H. Outer membrane of Salmonella typhimurium. Transmembrane diffusion of some hydrophobic substances. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Apr 16;433(1):118–132. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(76)90182-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Prehm P., Stirm S., Jann B., Jann K., Boman H. G. Cell-wall lipopolysaccharides of ampicillin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli K-12. Eur J Biochem. 1976 Jul 1;66(2):369–377. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1976.tb10526.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schmitges C. J., Henning U. The major proteins of the Escherichia coli outer cell-envelope membrane. Heterogeneity of protein I. Eur J Biochem. 1976 Mar 16;63(1):47–52. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1976.tb10205.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Steiner H., Hultmark D., Engström A., Bennich H., Boman H. G. Sequence and specificity of two antibacterial proteins involved in insect immunity. Nature. 1981 Jul 16;292(5820):246–248. doi: 10.1038/292246a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. VOGEL H. J., BONNER D. M. Acetylornithinase of Escherichia coli: partial purification and some properties. J Biol Chem. 1956 Jan;218(1):97–106. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wolf-Watz H., Masters M. Deoxyribonucleic acid and outer membrane: strains diploid for the oriC region show elevated levels of deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein and evidence for specific binding of the oriC region to outer membrane. J Bacteriol. 1979 Oct;140(1):50–58. doi: 10.1128/jb.140.1.50-58.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES