Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied Microbiology logoLink to Applied Microbiology
. 1970 Dec;20(6):871–874. doi: 10.1128/am.20.6.871-874.1970

Investigation of the Penicillinase Activity in L Colonies of Staphylococcus aureus

Vibeke Thamdrup Rosdahl 1, René Vejlsgaard 1
PMCID: PMC377074  PMID: 4992652

Abstract

Penicillinase-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus are transformed into stable L colonies by 70 to 100 subcultures on methicillin-containing medium with a suitable high osmolarity. During transformation, the penicillinase activity is lost. This loss in activity is not the result of only the penicillinase-negative mutants transforming to L colonies. If unstable L colonies are filtered through 0.45-μm membrane filters immediately after transformation, still no penicillinase activity is seen; this is also the case if the filtrated L colonies are reverted into coccal forms. The mechanism responsible for the loss of penicillinase activity is discussed. A loss of the penicillinase plasmid is proposed as the most reasonable explanation.

Full text

PDF
871

Selected References

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

  1. Beaton C. D. An electron microscope study of the mesosomes of a penicillinase-producing staphylococcus. J Gen Microbiol. 1968 Jan;50(1):37–42. doi: 10.1099/00221287-50-1-37. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Dienes L., Madoff S. Development and growth of L forms of bacteria and PPLO on membrane filters. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1966 Feb;121(2):334–339. doi: 10.3181/00379727-121-30772. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FODOR M., MILTENYI L. STUDIES ON L FORMS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS OF DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTIC AND PHAGE SENSITIVITY. Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung. 1964;11:155–163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gots J. S. THE DETECTION OF PENICILLINASE-PRODUCING PROPERTIES OF MICROORGANISMS. Science. 1945 Sep 21;102(2647):309–309. doi: 10.1126/science.102.2647.309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hamburger M., Carleton J. Staphylococcal spheroplasts and L colonies. II. Conditions conducive to reversion of spheroplasts to vegetative staphylococci. J Infect Dis. 1966 Dec;116(5):544–550. doi: 10.1093/infdis/116.5.544. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hamburger M. Wall-defective bacteria. Arch Intern Med. 1968 Aug;122(2):175–178. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kawakami M., Landman O. E. Retention of episomes during protoplasting and during propagation in the L state. J Bacteriol. 1966 Aug;92(2):398–404. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.2.398-404.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MARSTON J. Observations on L forms of staphylococci. J Infect Dis. 1961 Jan-Feb;108:75–84. doi: 10.1093/infdis/108.1.75. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MATTMAN L. H., TUNSTALL L. H., ROSSMOORE H. W. Induction and characteristics of staphylococcal L forms. Can J Microbiol. 1961 Oct;7:705–713. doi: 10.1139/m61-084. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MOLANDER C. W., WEINBERGER H. J., KAGAN B. M. GROWTH OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL L FORMS ON AND THROUGH MEMBRANE DISCS OF VARIOUS PORE SIZES. J Bacteriol. 1965 Mar;89:907–907. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.3.907-907.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. NOVICK R. P. Micro-iodometric assay for penicillinase. Biochem J. 1962 May;83:236–240. doi: 10.1042/bj0830236. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. RICHMOND M. H., JOHN M. CO-TRANSDUCTION BY A STAPHYLOCOCCAL PHAGE OF THE GENES RESPONSIBLE FOR PENICILLINASE SYNTHESIS AND RESISTANCE TO MERCURY SALTS. Nature. 1964 Jun 27;202:1360–1361. doi: 10.1038/2021360a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. RYTER A., LANDMAN O. E. ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MESOSOME LOSS AND THE STABLE L STATE (OR PROTOPLAST STATE) IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Aug;88:457–467. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.2.457-467.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SHEININ R. The localizatio of the cell-bound penicillinase of Bacillus cereus in protoplasts. J Gen Microbiol. 1959 Aug;21:124–134. doi: 10.1099/00221287-21-1-124. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sargent M. G., Ghosh B. K., Lampen J. O. Characteristics of penicillinase secretion by growing cells and protoplasts of Bacillus licheniformis. J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):820–826. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.2.820-826.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schlesinger M. J. Secretion of alkaline phosphatase subunits by spheroplasts of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1968 Sep;96(3):727–733. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.3.727-733.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Smith J. A., Willis A. T. Some physiological characters of L forms of Staphylococcus aureus. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1967 Oct;94(2):359–365. doi: 10.1002/path.1700940215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. WILLIAMS R. E. L FORMS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Nov;33:325–334. doi: 10.1099/00221287-33-2-325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES