Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1982 Feb;35(2):654–659. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.2.654-659.1982

Further characterization of complement resistance conferred on Escherichia coli by the plasmid genes traT of R100 and iss of ColV,I-K94.

M M Binns, J Mayden, R P Levine
PMCID: PMC351091  PMID: 7035371

Abstract

We have shown that the traT gene product was responsible for the complement resistance of the R100 plasmid. We compared this resistance with that specified by the iss gene of the ColV,I-K94 plasmid. The levels of resistance specified by the two genes were similar, and there was no additive effect on resistance when both genes were present together. Under conditions in which traT and iss conferred at least a 50- and 10-fold increase in survival, respectively, the consumption of C6, C7, C8, and C9 was the same for bacteria with and without the plasmid genes. This result indicated that it was the action of the terminal complex, not its formation, which was blocked by traT and iss.

Full text

PDF
654

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Achtman M., Kennedy N., Skurray R. Cell--cell interactions in conjugating Escherichia coli: role of traT protein in surface exclusion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Nov;74(11):5104–5108. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.11.5104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Akiyama Y., Inoue K. Isolation and properties of complement-resistant strains of Escherichia coli K-12. Infect Immun. 1977 Nov;18(2):446–453. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.2.446-453.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Binns M. M., Davies D. L., Hardy K. G. Cloned fragments of the plasmid ColV,I-K94 specifying virulence and serum resistance. Nature. 1979 Jun 28;279(5716):778–781. doi: 10.1038/279778a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cohen S. N., Chang A. C., Hsu L. Nonchromosomal antibiotic resistance in bacteria: genetic transformation of Escherichia coli by R-factor DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Aug;69(8):2110–2114. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.8.2110. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ferrazza D., Levy S. B. Biochemical and immunological characterization of an R plasmid-encoded protein with properties resembling those of major cellular outer membrane proteins. J Bacteriol. 1980 Oct;144(1):149–158. doi: 10.1128/jb.144.1.149-158.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fietta A., Romero E., Siccardi A. G. Effect of some R factors on the sensitivity of rough Enterobacteriaceae to human serum. Infect Immun. 1977 Nov;18(2):278–282. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.2.278-282.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kinsky S. C. Antibody-complement interaction with lipid model membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Feb 14;265(1):1–23. doi: 10.1016/0304-4157(72)90017-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. 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]
  9. Manning P. A., Beutin L., Achtman M. Outer membrane of Escherichia coli: properties of the F sex factor traT protein which is involved in surface exclusion. J Bacteriol. 1980 Apr;142(1):285–294. doi: 10.1128/jb.142.1.285-294.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McCabe W. R., Kaijser B., Olling S., Uwaydah M., Hanson L. A. Escherichia coli in bacteremia: K and O antigens and serum sensitivity of strains from adults and neonates. J Infect Dis. 1978 Jul;138(1):33–41. doi: 10.1093/infdis/138.1.33. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Moll A., Manning P. A., Timmis K. N. Plasmid-determined resistance to serum bactericidal activity: a major outer membrane protein, the traT gene product, is responsible for plasmid-specified serum resistance in Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1980 May;28(2):359–367. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.2.359-367.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ogata R. T., Levine R. P. Characterization of complement resistance in Escherichia coli conferred by the antibiotic resistance plasmid R100. J Immunol. 1980 Oct;125(4):1494–1498. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Olling S., Hanson L. A., Holmgren J., Jodal U., Lincoln K., Lindberg U. The bactericidal effect of normal human serum on E. coli strains from normals and from patients with urinary tract infections. Infection. 1973;1(1):24–28. doi: 10.1007/BF01638251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Reynard A. M., Beck M. E., Cunningham R. K. Effects of antibiotic resistance plasmids on the bactericidal activity of normal rabbit serum. Infect Immun. 1978 Mar;19(3):861–866. doi: 10.1128/iai.19.3.861-866.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Reynard A. M., Beck M. E. Plasmid-mediated resistance to the bactericidal effects of normal rabbit serum. Infect Immun. 1976 Sep;14(3):848–850. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.3.848-850.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sharp P. A., Cohen S. N., Davidson N. Electron microscope heteroduplex studies of sequence relations among plasmids of Escherichia coli. II. Structure of drug resistance (R) factors and F factors. J Mol Biol. 1973 Apr 5;75(2):235–255. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(73)90018-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith H. W., Huggins M. B. Further observations on the association of the colicine V plasmid of Escherichia coli with pathogenicity and with survival in the alimentary tract. J Gen Microbiol. 1976 Feb;92(2):335–350. doi: 10.1099/00221287-92-2-335. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Taylor P. W., Parton R. A protein factor associated with serum resistance in Escherichia coli. J Med Microbiol. 1977 May;10(2):225–232. doi: 10.1099/00222615-10-2-225. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tee G. L., Scott G. K. Analysis of outer membrane components of Escherichia coli ML308 225 and of a serum-resistant mutant. Infect Immun. 1980 May;28(2):387–392. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.2.387-392.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wood W. B. Host specificity of DNA produced by Escherichia coli: bacterial mutations affecting the restriction and modification of DNA. J Mol Biol. 1966 Mar;16(1):118–133. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(66)80267-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wright S. D., Levine R. P. How complement kills E. coli. I. Location of the lethal lesion. J Immunol. 1981 Sep;127(3):1146–1151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wright S. D., Levine R. P. How complement kills E. coli. II. The apparent two-hit nature of the lethal event. J Immunol. 1981 Sep;127(3):1152–1156. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES