Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1970 Oct;67(2):606–612. doi: 10.1073/pnas.67.2.606

Correlation of In Vivo and In Vitro Phase Transitions of Membrane Lipids in Escherichia coli

P Overath 1, H U Schairer 1, W Stoffel 1
PMCID: PMC283249  PMID: 4943175

Abstract

A double mutant of Escherichia coli unable to synthesize or degrade unsaturated fatty acids can incorporate fatty acids with various hydrocarbon chain structures into the membrane phospholipids. The temperature characteristic of three physiological properties of cells grown with different fatty acids (growth, respiration, and efflux of thiomethylgalactoside) is compared with the physical properties of the isolated phosphatidylethanolamines in monolayers at an air-water interface. Breaks in the temperature characteristic of the properties measured in vivo correspond to phase transitions in the lipid films from a liquid-expanded to a condensed form. It is concluded that a liquid-like state of the lipid phase is required for proper membrane function.

Full text

PDF
606

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. Anraku Y. The reduction and restoration of galactose transport in osmotically shocked cells of Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1967 Mar 10;242(5):793–800. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cronan J. E., Jr, Birge C. H., Vagelos P. R. Evidence for two genes specifically involved in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1969 Nov;100(2):601–604. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.2.601-604.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Engelman D. M. X-ray diffraction studies of phase transitions in the membrane of Mycoplasma laidlawii. J Mol Biol. 1970 Jan 14;47(1):115–117. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(70)90407-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Esfahani M., Barnes E. M., Jr, Wakil S. J. Control of fatty acid composition in phospholipids of Escherichia coli: response to fatty acid supplements in a fatty acid auxotroph. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Nov;64(3):1057–1064. doi: 10.1073/pnas.64.3.1057. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FLEISCHER S., BRIERLEY G., KLOUWEN H., SLAUTTERBACK D. B. Studies of the electron transfer system. 47. The role of phospholipids in electron transfer. J Biol Chem. 1962 Oct;237:3264–3272. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HANAHAN D. J., DITTMER J. C., WARASHINA E. A column chromatographic separation of classes of phospholipides. J Biol Chem. 1957 Oct;228(2):685–700. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. INGRAHAM J. L. Growth of psychrophilic bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1958 Jul;76(1):75–80. doi: 10.1128/jb.76.1.75-80.1958. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KOCH A. L. THE ROLE OF PERMEASE IN TRANSPORT. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1964 Jan 27;79:177–200. doi: 10.1016/0926-6577(64)90050-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Overath P., Pauli G., Schairer H. U. Fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli. An inducible acyl-CoA synthetase, the mapping of old-mutations, and the isolation of regulatory mutants. Eur J Biochem. 1969 Feb;7(4):559–574. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sanno Y., Wilson T. H., Lin E. C. Control of permeation to glycerol in cells of Escherichia coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1968 Jul 26;32(2):344–349. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(68)90392-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schairer H. U., Overath P. Lipids containing trans-unsaturated fatty acids change the temperature characteristic of thiomethylgalactoside accumulation in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1969 Aug 28;44(1):209–214. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(69)90416-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Shaw M. K., Ingraham J. L. Fatty Acid Composition of Escherichia coli as a Possible Controlling Factor of the Minimal Growth Temperature. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jul;90(1):141–146. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.1.141-146.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Silbert D. F., Ruch F., Vagelos P. R. Fatty acid replacements in a fatty acid auxotroph of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1968 May;95(5):1658–1665. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.5.1658-1665.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Silbert D. F., Vagelos P. R. Fatty acid mutant of E. coli lacking a beta-hydroxydecanoyl thioester dehydrase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 Oct;58(4):1579–1586. doi: 10.1073/pnas.58.4.1579. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Steim J. M., Tourtellotte M. E., Reinert J. C., McElhaney R. N., Rader R. L. Calorimetric evidence for the liquid-crystalline state of lipids in a biomembrane. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 May;63(1):104–109. doi: 10.1073/pnas.63.1.104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stoffel W., Pruss H. D. Monolayer studies with synthetic saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated mixed 1,2-diglycerides, 1,2-diacylphosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines at the air-water-interface. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1969 Nov;350(11):1385–1393. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1969.350.2.1385. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wilson G., Rose S. P., Fox C. F. The effect of membrane lipid unsaturation on glycoside transport. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1970 Feb 20;38(4):617–623. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(70)90625-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Winkler H. H., Wilson T. H. The role of energy coupling in the transport of beta-galactosides by Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1966 May 25;241(10):2200–2211. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES