Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1972 Feb;109(2):645–651. doi: 10.1128/jb.109.2.645-651.1972

Effect of Temperature on the Integrity of Bacillus psychrophilus Cell Walls

Stephen J Mattingly 1, Gary K Best 1
PMCID: PMC285188  PMID: 4621683

Abstract

Cell walls isolated from Bacillus psychrophilus autolyse at temperatures which support growth. At temperatures above the maximum growth temperature (28 C), a nonenzymatic lysis occurs. Removal of autolytic enzyme activity with 10 m LiCl had little effect on the rate or extent of lysis at elevated temperatures (37 and 45 C). Nonenzymatic lysis was characterized chemically by a decrease in the liberation of N-terminal groups, and the effects of pH, Ca2+, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid suggest that ionic linkages are involved in much of the integrity of the cell wall of this psychrophile. The nonenzymatic absorbance decrease at 45 C can be reversed to the extent of 70 to 100% at 0 C. Centrifugation of a heat-lysed wall suspension separated a soluble protein component which is required for low-temperature reaggregation. Preliminary evidence indicates the insoluble residue which remains after temperature-mediated lysis is primarily peptidoglycan.

Full text

PDF
645

Selected References

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

  1. Asbell M. A., Eagon R. G. Role of Multivalent Cations in the Organization, Structure, and Assembly of the Cell Wall of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 1966 Aug;92(2):380–387. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.2.380-387.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fan D. P. Cell wall binding properties of the Bacillus subtilis autolysin(s). J Bacteriol. 1970 Aug;103(2):488–493. doi: 10.1128/jb.103.2.488-493.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. HAGEN P. O., KUSHNER D. J., GIBBONS N. E. TEMPERATURE-INDUCED DEATH AND LYSIS IN A PSYCHROPHILIC BACTERIUM. Can J Microbiol. 1964 Dec;10:813–822. doi: 10.1139/m64-106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hughes R. C., Tanner P. J., Stokes E. Cell-wall thickening in Bacillus subtilis. Comparison of thickened and normal walls. Biochem J. 1970 Nov;120(1):159–170. doi: 10.1042/bj1200159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kingan S. L., Ensign J. C. Isolation and characterization of three autolytic enzymes associated with sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis. J Bacteriol. 1968 Sep;96(3):629–638. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.3.629-638.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Mattingly S. J., Best G. K. The effect of temperature on lysis of cells and cell walls of Bacillus psychrophilus. Can J Microbiol. 1971 Sep;17(9):1161–1168. doi: 10.1139/m71-185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Nermut M. V., Murray R. G. Ultrastructure of the cell wall of Bacillus polymyxa. J Bacteriol. 1967 Jun;93(6):1949–1965. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.6.1949-1965.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Pooley H. M., Porres-Juan J. M., Shockman G. D. Dissociation of an autolytic enzyme-cell wall complex by treatment with unusually high concentrations of salt. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1970 Mar 27;38(6):1134–1140. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(70)90357-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Shockman G. D., Thompson J. S., Conover M. J. The autolytic enzyme system of Streptococcus faecalis. II. Partial characterization of the autolysin and its substrate. Biochemistry. 1967 Apr;6(4):1054–1065. doi: 10.1021/bi00856a014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Stokes J. L., Larkin J. M. Comparative effect of temperature on the oxidative metabolism of whole and disrupted cells of a psychrophilic and a mesophilic species of Bacillus. J Bacteriol. 1968 Jan;95(1):95–98. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.1.95-98.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Tipper D. J. Mechanism of autolysis of isolated cell walls of Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):837–847. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.2.837-847.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Young F. E. Autolytic enzyme associated with cell walls of Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Chem. 1966 Aug 10;241(15):3462–3467. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES