Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1976 Feb;125(2):670–678. doi: 10.1128/jb.125.2.670-678.1976

Adaptation of membrane lipids to alcohols.

L O Ingram
PMCID: PMC236128  PMID: 1107328

Abstract

The effects of alcohols of different chain lengths on the fatty acid composition of Escherichia coli K-12 have been examined. My results indicate that these cells radically change their fatty acid composition when grown in the presence of alcohols. These changes represent an adaptive membrane alteration compensating for the direct physicochemical interaction of alcohols with the membrane. Similar adaptive responses of membrane lipids are proposed as a possible biochemical basis for tolerance to alcohol and related drugs.

Full text

PDF
675

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. Caldwell J., Sever P. S. The biochemical pharmacology of abused drugs. II. Alcohol and barbiturates. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1974 Nov;16(5 Pt 1):737–749. doi: 10.1002/cpt1974165part1737. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cronan J. E., Jr Regulation of the fatty acid composition of the membrane phospholipids of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Sep;71(9):3758–3762. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.9.3758. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DITTMER J. C., LESTER R. L. A SIMPLE, SPECIFIC SPRAY FOR THE DETECTION OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS ON THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAMS. J Lipid Res. 1964 Jan;5:126–127. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Freeman C. P., West D. Complete separation of lipid classes on a single thin-layer plate. J Lipid Res. 1966 Mar;7(2):324–327. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fulco A. J. Metabolic alterations of fatty acids. Annu Rev Biochem. 1974;43(0):215–241. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.43.070174.001243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Grisham C. M., Barnett R. E. The effects of long-chain alcohols on membrane lipids and the (Na++K+)-ATPase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jul 6;311(3):417–422. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(73)90322-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Grisham C. M., Barnett R. E. The interrelationship of membrane and protein structure in the functioning of the (Na + = K + )-activated ATPase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Jun 20;266(3):613–624. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(72)90005-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Grisham C. M., Barnett R. E. The role of lipid-phase transitions in the regulation of the (sodium + potassium) adenosine triphosphatase. Biochemistry. 1973 Jul 3;12(14):2635–2637. doi: 10.1021/bi00738a013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hubbell W. L., Metcalfe J. C., Metcalfe S. M., McConnell H. M. The interaction of small molecules with spin-labelled erythrocyte membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Dec 1;219(2):415–427. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(70)90219-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hui F. K., Barton P. G. Mesomorphic behaviour of some phospholipids with aliphatic alcohols and other non-ionic substances. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Mar 8;296(3):510–517. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(73)90111-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ingram L. O., Fisher W. D. Stimulation of cell division by membrane-active agents. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 Jan 23;50(2):200–210. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(73)90827-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. KANFER J., KENNEDY E. P. METABOLISM AND FUNCTION OF BACTERIAL LIPIDS. I. METABOLISM OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI B. J Biol Chem. 1963 Sep;238:2919–2922. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ladbrooke B. D., Chapman D. Thermal analysis of lipids, proteins and biological membranes. A review and summary of some recent studies. Chem Phys Lipids. 1969 Dec;3(4):304–356. doi: 10.1016/0009-3084(69)90040-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lieber C. S. Hepatic and metabolic effects of alcohol (1966 to 1973). Gastroenterology. 1973 Nov;65(5):821–846. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Luria S. E., Delbrück M. Mutations of Bacteria from Virus Sensitivity to Virus Resistance. Genetics. 1943 Nov;28(6):491–511. doi: 10.1093/genetics/28.6.491. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Marr A. G., Ingraham J. L. EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE COMPOSITION OF FATTY ACIDS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Bacteriol. 1962 Dec;84(6):1260–1267. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.6.1260-1267.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Newman L. M., Lutz M. P., Domino E. F. Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and some CNS depressants: evidence for cross-tolerance in the rat. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1974 Feb;207(2):254–259. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Olson G. J., Ingram L. O. Effects of temperature and nutritional changes on the fatty acids of agmenellum quadruplicatum. J Bacteriol. 1975 Oct;124(1):373–379. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.1.373-379.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rao P. S., Rao K. S. Fatty acid composition of phospholipids in different regions of developing human fetal brain. Lipids. 1973 Jul;8(7):374–377. doi: 10.1007/BF02531711. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rubin E., Lieber C. S. Alcoholism, alcohol, and drugs. Science. 1971 Jun 11;172(3988):1097–1102. doi: 10.1126/science.172.3988.1097. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sheetz M. P., Singer S. J. Biological membranes as bilayer couples. A molecular mechanism of drug-erythrocyte interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Nov;71(11):4457–4461. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.11.4457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Silbert D. F., Ladenson R. C., Honegger J. L. The unsaturated fatty acid requirement in Escherichia coli. Temperature dependence and total replacement by branched-chain fatty acids. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jul 6;311(3):349–361. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(73)90315-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sinensky M. Temperature control of phospholipid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1971 May;106(2):449–455. doi: 10.1128/jb.106.2.449-455.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Woods J. H., Winger G. D. Alcoholism and animals. Prev Med. 1974 Mar;3(1):49–60. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(74)90062-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES