Abstract
Adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a change in salinity was studied by estimating the intracellular content of water and proline after alteration of the salt concentration of the culture medium. The intracellular water content of S. aureus cultured in normal broth was 1.70 g/g (dry weight). After transfer to 1.8 M NaCl-containing broth, the water content decreased to 0.80 g/g (dry weight) within 1 min. After changing the salt concentration of the medium, intracellular free proline (assumed to be one of the osmoregulators in S. aureus) increased gradually from 0 to 1,400 mumol/g (dry weight) during 30 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. The water content rose to 0.88 g/g (dry weight) in 30 min. Proline was not taken up at 0 to 4 degrees C, suggesting that the process was one of active transport. The salt tolerance of S. aureus, therefore, appears to occur initially by dehydration of the cell after transfer from a medium of low salinity to one of high salinity and then by accumulation of proline, which carries water into the cell with it.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barnett N. M., Naylor A. W. Amino Acid and protein metabolism in bermuda grass during water stress. Plant Physiol. 1966 Sep;41(7):1222–1230. doi: 10.1104/pp.41.7.1222. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CHRISTIAN J. H., WALTHO J. A. Solute concentrations within cells of halophilic and non-halophilic bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1962 Dec 17;65:506–508. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(62)90453-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CHRISTIAN J. H., WALTHO J. A. THE COMPOSITION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN RELATION TO THE WATER ACTIVITY OF THE GROWTH MEDIUM. J Gen Microbiol. 1964 May;35:205–213. doi: 10.1099/00221287-35-2-205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Christian J. H., Hall J. M. Water relations of Salmonella oranienburg: accumulation of potassium and amino acids during respiration. J Gen Microbiol. 1972 May;70(3):497–506. doi: 10.1099/00221287-70-3-497. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kanemasa Y., Yoshioka T., Hayashi H. Alteration of the phospholipid composition of Staphylococcus aureus cultured in medium containing NaCl. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Nov 30;280(3):444–450. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Measures J. C. Role of amino acids in osmoregulation of non-halophilic bacteria. Nature. 1975 Oct 2;257(5525):398–400. doi: 10.1038/257398a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tempest D. W., Meers J. L., Brown C. M. Influence of environment on the content and composition of microbial free amino acid pools. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Dec;64(2):171–185. doi: 10.1099/00221287-64-2-171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]