Autolysis of Listeria monocytogenes

Physiological conditions that could provide maximal rates of autolysis of Listeria monocytogenes were examined. L. monocytogenes was found to be refractory to most treatments that promote rapid autolysis in other bacteria. Best rates of autolysis were obtained after resuspending the cells in Tris-hydrochloride buffer at 37 degrees C with the pH optimum at 8.0. Autolysis was also efficiently promoted by the surfactant Triton X-100. Antibiotics that interfere with the biosynthesis of the cell wall murein (peptidoglycan) caused death of the cells without autolysis after prolonged incubation in the presence of the drug. Only nisin, which has been shown to bind in vitro to the murein precursors lipid I and lipid II brings about autolysis of L. monocytogenes cells, although with slower kinetics than in the case of Tris-HCl and Triton.     

Autolysis of Listeria monocytogenes

Autolytic curves of five representative strains of Listeria monocytogenes are described. Of 24 strains so far examined, the majority are unstable in vitro.     

Promotion of Autolysis in Lactobacilli

The conditions of promotion of autolysis of three strains of Lactobacilli were investigated. The autolysis of L. acidophilus, L. helveticus and L. casei at exponential phase was remarkably enhanced by freezing storage at ?20°C overnight.

The turbidity decrease of L. acidophilus’ cell suspension corresponds to the increase of cell free nitrogen compounds, glucosamine and DNA component. All these compounds were more rapidly released from the cells stored at ?20°C than those stored at 3°C. The cells which were harvested at the exponential phase had higher autolytic activity than those at stationary phase. The storage of the cells at ?20°C for 2 days or more could effectively promote the autolysis.

The activity was increased by Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺. Optimum pH of the autolytic enzyme of L. acidophilus was 6~7.     

Autolysis of Escherichia coli

Autolysis of unwashed exponential-phase Escherichia coli cells was efficiently promoted by first submitting them to a quick downshock with distilled water before an upshock with 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 6.5. The association of these two osmotic shocks had a remarkable synergistic effect and led to significant decreases in turbidity and viability. Different factors influencing the rate of cell lysis were examined. A close correlation was established between autolysis and the degradation of peptidoglycan. Both phenomena were induced by the same shock treatment, followed similar kinetics, and were efficiently blocked by addition of divalent cations. Cell lysis was also inducible by a shock treatment with 10(-3) M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid and blocked by the addition of divalent cations.     

Autolysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Autolysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was studied under different conditions. It was found that low pH and temperature, as well as the presence of divalent cations, spermine, sucrose, and polyvinylpyrrolidone, stabilized nongrowing gonococci. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid alone promoted lysis, whereas lysozyme had only a limited additive effect. The autolytic behavior of gonococci appears to be connected with their prolonged cell division process. The relative dependence on the outer membrane and the peptidoglycan layer for the mechanical stability of gonococci is discussed.     

Sites of Cellular Autolysis in Lactobacillus acidophilus

Ultrastructural changes which occur during cellular autolysis of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 63AM Gasser in 0.05 M citrate buffer, pH 5.0, were examined. Early in the process, randomly distributed electron-dense patches were seen on the wall surface, along with an accompanying eversion of mesosomes. Later, after a loss of about 20% of the initial cellular turbidity, dissolution from the outside of nascent cross walls was seen. This observation was related to the normal process of cell separation. After this stage, short lengths of the cylindrical portion of the wall appeared to be completely removed in a random manner over the entire surface. This dissolution produced gaps in the wall which allowed the extrusion of membrane and cytoplasm. Although membrane was usually extruded through one major, polar, subpolar, or septal site, other secondary points of membrane extrusion were also frequently seen in the same cell section.     

Pith Autolysis in Herbaceous, Dicotyledonous Plants: Experimental Manipulation of Pith Autolysis in Several Cultivated Species

Pith autolysis, a condition in which dicotyledonous herbaceousplants have a hollow stem, results from the autolysis of a plant'sstorage pith. Our central hypothesis concerning the aetiologyof pith autolysis states that the carbon from the pith is transportedto the growth regions of the plant and used at times when theplant cannot meet its carbon needs by photosynthesis alone.According to this hypothesis, accelerated growth should increasepith autolysis. We here provide supporting evidence for thecentral hypothesis. More pith autolysis was found in fastergrowing tomato varieties than in dwarf varieties. More pithautolysis was found in both beans and tomatoes treated withGA₃ than in controls. More pith autolysis was found in leggybean plants grown in low light than in normal plants grown undernormal light conditions. Pith autolysis decreased in both beansand tomatoes when mechanically perturbed or sprayed with paclobutrazol,both treatments that reduced growth. The stems of buckwheatplants that were flowering showed greater pith autolysis andtherefore were more hollow than plants which were not floweringor which had the incipient flowers pinched off. This indicatedthat carbon from the storage pith may also be used in the formationof reproductive structures which require extra carbon. Alsoin support of the central hypothesis is the prevention of pithautolysis by the addition of extra carbon to the plant, in theform of an increased CO₂ concentration of the surrounding air.Copyright1995, 1999 Academic Press Bean, tomato, buckwheat, pith autolysis, CO₂, GA, thigmomorphogenesis, packobutrazol     

Autolysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Physiological conditions that would provide maximal rates of autolysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were examined. Autolysis was found to occur over a broad pH range with the optimum at pH 9.0 IN 0.05 M tris(hydroxymethyl)amino-methane-maleate buffer. The temperature optimum was found to be 40 C. Potassium ions greatly stimulated autolysis at a concentration of 0.01 M. Exposure of growing N. gonorrhoeae cells to penicillin, vancomycin, or D-cycloserine influenced the susceptibility to the autolysis, whereas chloramphenicol afforded some protection against autolysis. The primary structure of the peptidoglycan is composed of muramic acid/glutamic acid/alanine/diaminopimelic acid/glucosamine in approximate molar ratios of 1:1:2:1:1, respectively. Exogenous radioactive diaminopimelic acid, D-glucosamine, and D-alanine were incorporated into peptidoglycan. During autolysis these radioactive fragments were released from cells.