1887

Abstract

Mutant strains of male cells defective in Ca,Mg-dependent ATPase were constructed and tested for their ability to form a complex between sex pili and the filamentous phage fd under conditions where either the membrane potential or the cellular concentration of ATP was lowered. The uncoupler carbonyl cyanide -chlorophenyl-hydrazone and the respiratory inhibitor cyanide, as well as valinomycin-K and colicin El, all markedly diminished complex formation, indicating that the maintenance of a membrane potential, but probably not the pH gradient, is essential for the formation of the complex. Since complex formation with freshly centrifuged cells (which initially lacked sex pili) as well as with preincubated cells (in which pre-existing pili were available for complex formation) was inhibited by exposure to the inhibitors, energy seems to be required for both the reappearance (probably assembly) and the maintenance of sex pili on the cell surface. Brief exposure of freshly centrifuged cells to arsenate resulted in only partial inhibition of complex formation. However, marked inhibition of complex formation was observed following exposure to arsenate of preincubated cells possessing sex pili. This indicates that compounds such as ATP may also be required for maintenance of sex pili on the cell surface.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-123-2-343
1981-04-01
2024-04-24
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/micro/123/2/mic-123-2-343.html?itemId=/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-123-2-343&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Achtman M. 1973; Genetics or the F sex tactorm Enterobacteriaceae . Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 60:79–123
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Bayer M. E. 1975; Role of adhesion zones in bacterial cell-surface function and biogenesis. In Membrane Biogenesis: Mitochondria, Chloroplasts and Bacteria pp. 393–424 Tzagoloff A. Edited by New York: Plenum Press;
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Caro L. G., Schnös M. 1966; The attachment of the male specific bacteriophage f 1 to sensitive strains of Escherichia coli . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of A merica 56:126–132
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Cox G. B., Gibson F., Mccann L. 1973; Reconstitution of oxidative phosphorylation and the adenosine triphosphate-dependent transhydro- genase activity by a combination of membrane fractions from uncA and uncB mutant strains of Escherichia coli K12. Biochemical Journal 134:1015–1021
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Grinius L., Berzinskiene J. 1976; Studies on DNA transport during bacterial conjugation. Role of proton motive force-generating H+-ATPase and respiratory chain. FEBS Letters 72:151–154
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Harold F. M. 1971; Membranes and energy transduction in bacteria. Current Topics in Bioenergetics 6:83–149
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Klein W. L., Boyer P. D. 1972; Energization of active transport by Escherichia coli . Journal of Biological Chemistry 247:7257–7265
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Larsen S. H., Adler J., Gargus J. J., Hogg R. W. 1974; Chemomechanical coupling without ATP: the source of energy for motility and chemotaxis in bacteria. Proceedings of the National Academv of Sciences of the United States of America 71:1239–1243
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Lundin A., Thore A. 1975; Analytical information obtainable by evaluation of the time course of firefly bioluminescence in the assay of ATP. Analytical Biochemistry 66:47–63
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Novotny C. P., Taylor P. F., Levin K. 1972; Effects of growth inhibitors and ultraviolet irradiation on F pili. Journal of Bacteriology 112:1083–1089
    [Google Scholar]
  11. O’Callaghan R. J., Bundy L., Bradley R., Paranchych W. 1973; Unusual arsenate poisoning of the F pili of Escherichia coli . Journal of Bacteriology 115:76–81
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Plate C. A. 1979; Requirement for membrane potential in active transport of glutamine by Escherichia coli . Journal of Bacteriology 137:221–225
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Plate C. A., Suit J. L., Jetten A. M., Luria S. E. 1974; Effects of colicin K on a mutant of Escherichia coli deficient in Ca2+,Mg2+-activated adenosine triphosphatase. Journal of Biological Chemistry 249:6138–6143
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Ramos S., Kaback H. R. 1977; The electrochemical proton gradient in Escherichia coli membrane vesicles. Biochemistry 16:848–853
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Rowbury R. J. 1977; Bacterial plasmids with particular reference to their replication and transfer properties. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 31:271–317
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Szmelcman S., Adler J. 1976; Changes in membrane potential during bacterial chemotaxis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 73:4387–4391
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Tokuda H., Konisky J. 1978; Mode of action of colicin Ia: effect of colicin on the Escherichia coli proton electrochemical gradient. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 75:2579–2583
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Tokuda H., Konisky J. 1979; Effects of colicins la and El on ion permeability of liposomes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 76:6167–6171
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Tomoeda M., Inuzuka M., Date T. 1975; Bacterial sex pili. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 30:23–56
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Yamamoto M., Kanegasaki S., Yoshikawa M. 1980; Effects of temperature and energy inhibitors on complex formation between Escherichia coli male cells and filamentous phage fd. Journal of General Microbiology 119:87–93
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-123-2-343
Loading
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-123-2-343
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error