Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1980 Jan;141(1):156–163. doi: 10.1128/jb.141.1.156-163.1980

Mechanism of the antibiotic action pyocyanine.

H M Hassan, I Fridovich
PMCID: PMC293551  PMID: 6243619

Abstract

Exposure of Escherichia coli growing in a rich medium to pyocyanine resulted in increased intracellular levels of superoxide dismutase and of catalase. When these adaptive enzyme syntheses were prevented by nutritional paucity, the toxic action of pyocyanine was augmented. The antibiotic action of pyocyanine was dependent upon oxygen and was diminished by superoxide dismutase and by catalase, added to the suspending medium. Pyocyanine slightly augmented the respiration of E. coli suspended in a rich medium, but greatly increased the cyanide-resistant respiration. Pyocyanine was able to cause the oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, with O2- production, in the absence of enzymatic catalysis. It is concluded that pyocyanine diverts electron flow and thus increases the production of O2- and H2O2 and that the antibiotic action of this pigment is largely a reflection of the toxicity of these products of oxygen reduction.

Full text

PDF
163

Images in this article

158Image
on p.158
159Image
on p.159
162Image
on p.162

Selected References

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

  1. BEERS R. F., Jr, SIZER I. W. A spectrophotometric method for measuring the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide by catalase. J Biol Chem. 1952 Mar;195(1):133–140. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beauchamp C., Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase: improved assays and an assay applicable to acrylamide gels. Anal Biochem. 1971 Nov;44(1):276–287. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chang P. C., Blackwood A. C. Simultaneous production of three phenazine pigments by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mac 436. Can J Microbiol. 1969 May;15(5):439–444. doi: 10.1139/m69-077. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Claiborne A., Fridovich I. Purification of the o-dianisidine peroxidase from Escherichia coli B. Physicochemical characterization and analysis of its dual catalatic and peroxidatic activities. J Biol Chem. 1979 May 25;254(10):4245–4252. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dickens F., McIlwain H. Phenazine compounds as carriers in the hexosemonophosphate system. Biochem J. 1938 Sep;32(9):1615–1625. doi: 10.1042/bj0321615. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dougherty H. W., Sadowski S. J., Baker E. E. A new iron-containing superoxide dismutase from Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1978 Jul 25;253(14):5220–5223. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FRANK L. H., DEMOSS R. D. On the biosynthesis of pyocyanine. J Bacteriol. 1959 Jun;77(6):776–782. doi: 10.1128/jb.77.6.776-782.1959. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FUNAKI M., TSUCHIYA F., MAEDA K., KAMIYA T. Cyanomycin, a new antibiotic. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 1958 Jul;11(4):143–149. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Friedheim E. A. The effect of pyocyanine on the respiration of some normal tissues and tumours. Biochem J. 1934;28(1):173–179. doi: 10.1042/bj0280173. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Enzymatic defenses against the toxicity of oxygen and of streptonigrin in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1977 Mar;129(3):1574–1583. doi: 10.1128/jb.129.3.1574-1583.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Intracellular production of superoxide radical and of hydrogen peroxide by redox active compounds. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1979 Sep;196(2):385–395. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(79)90289-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Paraquat and Escherichia coli. Mechanism of production of extracellular superoxide radical. J Biol Chem. 1979 Nov 10;254(21):10846–10852. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Physiological function of superoxide dismutase in glucose-limited chemostat cultures of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1977 May;130(2):805–811. doi: 10.1128/jb.130.2.805-811.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Regulation of the synthesis of catalase and peroxidase in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1978 Sep 25;253(18):6445–6420. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Regulation of the synthesis of superoxide dismutase in Escherichia coli. Induction by methyl viologen. J Biol Chem. 1977 Nov 10;252(21):7667–7672. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hassan H. M., Fridovich I. Superoxide radical and the oxygen enhancement of the toxicity of paraquat in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1978 Nov 25;253(22):8143–8148. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ingledew W. M., Campbell J. J. A new resuspension medium for pyocyanine production. Can J Microbiol. 1969 Jun;15(6):595–598. doi: 10.1139/m69-101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Keele B. B., Jr, McCord J. M., Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase from escherichia coli B. A new manganese-containing enzyme. J Biol Chem. 1970 Nov 25;245(22):6176–6181. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Knight M., Hartman P. E., Hartman Z., Young V. M. A new method of preparation of pyocyanin and demonstration of an unusual bacterial sensitivity. Anal Biochem. 1979 May;95(1):19–23. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(79)90179-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. MASSEY V., SINGER T. P. Studies on succinic dehydrogenase. VI. The reactivity of beef heart succinic dehydrogenase with electron carriers. J Biol Chem. 1957 Dec;229(2):755–762. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. McCord J. M., Fridovich I. Superoxide dismutase. An enzymic function for erythrocuprein (hemocuprein). J Biol Chem. 1969 Nov 25;244(22):6049–6055. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Nishikimi M., Appaji N., Yagi K. The occurrence of superoxide anion in the reaction of reduced phenazine methosulfate and molecular oxygen. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1972 Jan 31;46(2):849–854. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(72)80218-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Stewart-Tull D. E., Armstrong A. V. The effect of 1-hydroxyphenazine and pyocyanin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa on mammalian cell respiration. J Med Microbiol. 1972 Feb;5(1):67–73. doi: 10.1099/00222615-5-1-67. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Von Saltza M. H., Last J. A., Stapleton P. G., Rathnum M. L., Neidleman S. L. Cyanomycin, its identity with pyocyanine. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 1969 Feb;22(2):49–54. doi: 10.7164/antibiotics.22.49. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Waksman S. A., Woodruff H. B. Selective Antibiotic Action of Various Substances of Microbial Origin. J Bacteriol. 1942 Sep;44(3):373–384. doi: 10.1128/jb.44.3.373-384.1942. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Yost F. J., Jr, Fridovich I. An iron-containing superoxide dismutase from Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1973 Jul 25;248(14):4905–4908. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Young G. Pigment Production and Antibiotic Activity in Cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 1947 Aug;54(2):109–117. doi: 10.1128/jb.54.2.109-117.1947. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. ZAUGG W. S. SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERISTICS AND SOME CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF N-METHYLPHENAZINIUM METHYL SULFATE (PHENAZINE METHOSULFATE) AND PYOCYANINE AT THE SEMIQUIDNOID OXIDATION LEVEL. J Biol Chem. 1964 Nov;239:3964–3970. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES