Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1971 Nov;108(2):662–667. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.2.662-667.1971

Binding of Radioactive Benzylpenicillin to Sporulating Bacillus Cultures: Chemistry and Fluctuations in Specific Binding Capacity

Paul J Lawrence 1, Marvin Rogolsky 1, Vo Thi Hanh 1
PMCID: PMC247124  PMID: 4942758

Abstract

The chemistry of the binding of 14C-benzylpenicillin to sporulating cultures of Bacillus megaterium and B. subtilis is similar to that in a 4-hr vegetative culture of Staphylococcus aureus. Unlabeled penicillins prevent the binding of 14C-benzylpenicillin, but benzylpenicilloic acid and benzylpenilloic acid do not. Bound antibiotic can be removed from cells with neutral hydroxylamine at 25 C. Sporulating cultures display two intervals of enhanced binding, whereas binding to stationaryphase S. aureus cells remains constant. The first period of increased binding activity occurs during formation of the spore septum or cell wall primordium development, and the second coincides with cortex biosynthesis.

Full text

PDF
662

Selected References

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

  1. Araki Y., Shimada A., Ito E. Effect of penicillin on cell wall mucopeptide synthesis in a Escherichia coli particulate system. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1966 May 25;23(4):518–525. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(66)90760-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Araki Y., Shirai R., Shimada A., Ishimoto N., Ito E. Enzymatic synthesis of cell wall mucopeptide in a particulate preparation of Escherichia coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1966 May 25;23(4):466–472. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(66)90751-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COOPER P. D. Site of action of radiopenicillin. Bacteriol Rev. 1956 Mar;20(1):28–48. doi: 10.1128/br.20.1.28-48.1956. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DANIEL J. W., Jr, JOHNSON M. J. Properties of the penicillin binding component of Micrococcus pyogenes. J Bacteriol. 1954 Mar;67(3):321–328. doi: 10.1128/jb.67.3.321-328.1954. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DONNELLAN J. E., Jr, NAGS E. H., LEVINSON H. S. CHEMICALLY DEFINED, SYNTHETIC MEDIA FOR SPORULATION AND FOR GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Feb;87:332–336. doi: 10.1128/jb.87.2.332-336.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DUERKSEN J. D. LOCALIZATION OF THE SITE OF FIXATION OF THE INDUCER, PENICILLIN, IN BACILLUS CEREUS. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1964 May 18;87:123–140. doi: 10.1016/0926-6550(64)90053-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Edwards J. R., Park J. T. Correlation between growth inhibition and the binding of various penicillins and cephalosporins to Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1969 Aug;99(2):459–462. doi: 10.1128/jb.99.2.459-462.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gordon R. A., Murrell W. G. Simple method of detecting spore septum formation and synchrony of sporulation. J Bacteriol. 1967 Jan;93(1):495–496. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.1.495-496.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hitchins A. D., Slepecky R. A. Antibiotic inhibition of the septation stage in sporulation of Bacillus megaterium. J Bacteriol. 1969 Mar;97(3):1513–1515. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.3.1513-1515.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hitchins A. D., Slepecky R. A. Bacterial sporulation as a modified procaryotic cell division. Nature. 1969 Aug 23;223(5208):804–807. doi: 10.1038/223804a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Izaki K., Matsuhashi M., Strominger J. L. Biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. 8. Peptidoglycan transpeptidase and D-alanine carboxypeptidase: penicillin-sensitive enzymatic reaction in strains of Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1968 Jun 10;243(11):3180–3192. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Izaki K., Matsuhashi M., Strominger J. L. Glycopeptide transpeptidase and D-alanine carboxypeptidase: penicillin-sensitive enzymatic reactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Mar;55(3):656–663. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.3.656. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. KOLODZIEJ B. J., SLEPECKY R. A. TRACE METAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SPORULATION OF BACILLUS MEGATERIUM. J Bacteriol. 1964 Oct;88:821–830. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.4.821-830.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lawrence P. J., Strominger J. L. Biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. XV. The binding of radioactive penicillin to the particulate enzyme preparation of Bacillus subtilis and its reversal with hydroxylamine or thiols. J Biol Chem. 1970 Jul 25;245(14):3653–3659. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lawrence P. J., Strominger J. L. Biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. XVI. The reversible fixation of radioactive penicillin G to the D-alanine carboxypeptidase of Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Chem. 1970 Jul 25;245(14):3660–3666. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Maass E. A., Johnson M. J. PENICILLIN UPTAKE BY BACTERIAL CELLS. J Bacteriol. 1949 Apr;57(4):415–422. doi: 10.1128/jb.57.4.415-422.1949. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. POLLOCK M. R., PERRET C. J. The relation between fixation of penicillin sulphur and penicillinase adaptation in B cereus. Br J Exp Pathol. 1951 Oct;32(5):387–396. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. PRUESS D. L., JOHNSON M. J. ENZYMATIC DEACYLATION OF S35-BENZYLPENICILLIN. J Bacteriol. 1965 Aug;90:380–383. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.2.380-383.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pearce S. M., Fitz-James P. C. Sporulation of a cortexless mutant of a variant of Bacillus cereus. J Bacteriol. 1971 Jan;105(1):339–348. doi: 10.1128/jb.105.1.339-348.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rogers H. J. The inhibition of mucopeptide synthesis by benzylpenicillin in relation to irreversible fixation of the antibiotic by staphylococci. Biochem J. 1967 Apr;103(1):90–102. doi: 10.1042/bj1030090. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rogolsky M. Chromosomal regions which control sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Can J Microbiol. 1969 Jul;15(7):787–790. doi: 10.1139/m69-137. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tipper D. J., Strominger J. L. Biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. XII. Inhibition of cross-linking by penicillins and cephalosporins: studies in Staphylococcus aureus in vivo. J Biol Chem. 1968 Jun 10;243(11):3169–3179. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tipper D. J., Strominger J. L. Mechanism of action of penicillins: a proposal based on their structural similarity to acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Oct;54(4):1133–1141. doi: 10.1073/pnas.54.4.1133. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Vinter V. Spores of microorganisms. XVII. The fate of preexisting diaminopimelic acid-containing structures during germination and postgerminative development of bacterial spores. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 1965 Sep;10(5):280–287. doi: 10.1007/BF02871027. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. WILEY B. B. A new virulence test for Staphylococcus aureus and its application to encapsulated strains. Can J Microbiol. 1961 Dec;7:933–943. doi: 10.1139/m61-118. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Warth A. D., Strominger J. L. Structure of the peptidoglycan of bacterial spores: occurrence of the lactam of muramic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Oct;64(2):528–535. doi: 10.1073/pnas.64.2.528. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wise E. M., Jr, Park J. T. Penicillin: its basic site of action as an inhibitor of a peptide cross-linking reaction in cell wall mucopeptide synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Jul;54(1):75–81. doi: 10.1073/pnas.54.1.75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES