Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1983 Nov;156(2):778–788. doi: 10.1128/jb.156.2.778-788.1983

D-(-)-poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in membranes of genetically competent bacteria.

R N Reusch, H L Sadoff
PMCID: PMC217896  PMID: 6415039

Abstract

D-(-)-Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate is a constituent of the membranes and the cytoplasms of genetically competent Azotobacter vinelandii, Bacillus subtilis, and Haemophilus influenzae cells. Within each species the concentration of D-(-)-poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in the membranes and cytoplasm correlates with transformability. Fluorescence analysis of the thermotropic lipid phase transitions in A. vinelandii and B. subtilis cells indicates that D-(-)-poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate forms an organized gel structure in the membranes which is very labile. The concentration of organized D-(-)-poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in the membranes, which can be estimated from the intensity of its phase transition, can be used to assess the competence of a culture.

Full text

PDF
778

Selected References

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

  1. Ames G. F. Lipids of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli: structure and metabolism. J Bacteriol. 1968 Mar;95(3):833–843. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.3.833-843.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cahn F. H., Fox M. S. Fractionation of transformable bacteria from ocompetent cultures of Bacillus subtilis on renografin gradients. J Bacteriol. 1968 Mar;95(3):867–875. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.3.867-875.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Colley C. M., Metcalfe J. C. The localisation of small molecules in lipid bilayers. FEBS Lett. 1972 Aug 15;24(3):241–246. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(72)80364-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dawes E. A., Senior P. J. The role and regulation of energy reserve polymers in micro-organisms. Adv Microb Physiol. 1973;10:135–266. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2911(08)60088-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hadden C., Nester E. W. Purification of competent cells in the Bacillus subtilis transformation system. J Bacteriol. 1968 Mar;95(3):876–885. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.3.876-885.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Herriott R. M., Meyer E. M., Vogt M. Defined nongrowth media for stage II development of competence in Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol. 1970 Feb;101(2):517–524. doi: 10.1128/jb.101.2.517-524.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Joenje H., Konings W. N., Venema G. Interactions between exogenous deoxyribonucleic acid and membrane vesicles isolated from competent and noncompetent Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1975 Mar;121(3):771–776. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.3.771-776.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. LAW J. H., SLEPECKY R. A. Assay of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid. J Bacteriol. 1961 Jul;82:33–36. doi: 10.1128/jb.82.1.33-36.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. 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]
  10. Mulder J. A., Venema G. Transformation-deficient mutants of Bacillus subtilis impaired in competence-specific nuclease activities. J Bacteriol. 1982 Oct;152(1):166–174. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.1.166-174.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Osborn M. J., Gander J. E., Parisi E., Carson J. Mechanism of assembly of the outer membrane of Salmonella typhimurium. Isolation and characterization of cytoplasmic and outer membrane. J Biol Chem. 1972 Jun 25;247(12):3962–3972. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Overath P., Träuble H. Phase transitions in cells, membranes, and lipids of Escherichia coli. Detection by fluorescent probes, light scattering, and dilatometry. Biochemistry. 1973 Jul 3;12(14):2625–2634. doi: 10.1021/bi00738a012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Page W. J., Sadoff H. L. Control of transformation competence in Azotobacter vinelandii by nitrogen catabolite derepression. J Bacteriol. 1976 Mar;125(3):1088–1095. doi: 10.1128/jb.125.3.1088-1095.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Page W. J., von Tigerstrom M. Induction of transformation competence in Azotobacter vinelandii iron-limited cultures. Can J Microbiol. 1978 Dec;24(12):1590–1594. doi: 10.1139/m78-254. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Page W. J., von Tigerstrom M. Optimal conditions for transformation of Azotobacter vinelandii. J Bacteriol. 1979 Sep;139(3):1058–1061. doi: 10.1128/jb.139.3.1058-1061.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. ROUF M. A., STOKES J. L. Isolation and identification of the sudanophilic granules of Sphaerotilus natans. J Bacteriol. 1962 Feb;83:343–347. doi: 10.1128/jb.83.2.343-347.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Reusch R. N., Sadoff H. L. 5-n-Alkylresorcinols from encysting Azotobacter vinelandii: isolation and characterization. J Bacteriol. 1979 Aug;139(2):448–453. doi: 10.1128/jb.139.2.448-453.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Scocca J. J., Poland R. L., Zoon K. C. Specificity in deoxyribonucleic acid uptake by transformable Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol. 1974 May;118(2):369–373. doi: 10.1128/jb.118.2.369-373.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Smith H. O., Danner D. B., Deich R. A. Genetic transformation. Annu Rev Biochem. 1981;50:41–68. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.50.070181.000353. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Spizizen J. TRANSFORMATION OF BIOCHEMICALLY DEFICIENT STRAINS OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS BY DEOXYRIBONUCLEATE. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1958 Oct 15;44(10):1072–1078. doi: 10.1073/pnas.44.10.1072. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Träuble H., Overath P. The structure of Escherichia coli membranes studied by fluorescence measurements of lipid phase transitions. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 May 25;307(3):491–512. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(73)90296-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Vaskovsky V. E., Kostetsky E. Y. Modified spray for the detection of phospholipids on thin-layer chromatograms. J Lipid Res. 1968 May;9(3):396–396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. WEISSBACH A., HURWITZ J. The formation of 2-keto-3-deoxyheptonic acid in extracts of Escherichia coli B. I. Identification. J Biol Chem. 1959 Apr;234(4):705–709. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Young F. E. Competence in Bacillus subtilis transformation system. Nature. 1967 Feb 25;213(5078):773–775. doi: 10.1038/213773a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES