Biosynthesis and structure of lipopolysaccharide in an outer membrane-defective mutant of Escherichia coli J5.

Membrane-defective mutants of Escherichia coli J5 were isolated on the basis of supersensitivity to the antibiotic novobiocin. These mutants display an increased sensitivity to a wide range of antibiotics and to several dyes and detergents. In addition, several mutants leak the periplasmic enzymes, alkyline phosphatase and ribonuclease. This evidence indicates an outer membrane defect in these mutants. The inner and outer membranes of one mutant were separated and subjected to compositional analysis. A deficiency in galactose containing lipopolysaccharide in the outer membrane of the mutant was observed. Two possible causes of this deficiency were examined and discounted: defective galactose uptake into the cell, and defective translocation of lipopolysaccharide from the inner membrane. Extraction and chemical analysis of mutant and wild type lipopolysaccharides suggests that the mutant is defective in the enzyme which transfers glucose to the growing lipopolysaccharide core, UDPglucose transferase. Thus, the mutant's deficiency in galactose-containing lipopolysaccharide can be ascribed to the fact that addition of glucose to the lipopolysaccharide core is a prerequisite for galactose addition. The physiological implications of this alteration are discussed.     

Synthesis and turnover of the regularly arranged surface protein of Acinetobacter sp. relative to the other components of the cell envelope.

The formation of the components of the cell envelope of Acinetobacter sp. 199A was investigated by measuring the incorporation of [3H]leucine into protein, [14C]galactose into lipopolysaccharide, 32P into phospholipid, and [3H]diaminopimelic acid into peptidoglycan. Whereas the lipopolysaccharide and intrinsic protein of the outer membrane were stable, some of the regularly arranged surface protein, the alpha-protein, was lost into the growth medium. Only newly synthesized alpha-protein was lost. The peptidoglycan of the murein layer was also labile. Selective inhibition of the formation of individual components of the cell envelope with penicillin, chloramphenicol, and bacitracin showed that incorporation of protein into the outer membrane required the simultaneous formation of complete lipopolysaccharide. The converse was not true: protein synthesis was not required for lipopolysaccharide incorporation. Formation of the outer membrane and the murein layer proceeded independently.     

Biosynthesis and structure of lipopolysaccharide in an outer membrane-defective mutant of Escherichia coli J5

Membrane-defective mutants of Escherichia coli J5 were isolated on the basis of supersensitivity to the antibiotic novobiocin. These mutants display an increased sensitivity to a wide range of antibiotics and to several dyes and detergents. In addition, several mutants leak the periplasmic enzymes, alkaline phosphatase and ribonuclease. This evidence indicates an outer membrane defect in these mutants. The inner and outer membranes of one mutant were separated and subjected to compositional analysis. A deficiency in galactose-containing lipopolysaccharide in the outer membrane of the mutant was observed. Two possible causes of this deficiency were examined and discounted: defective galactose uptake into the cell, and defective translocation of lipopolysaccharide from the inner membrane. Extraction and chemical analysis of mutant and wild type lipopolysaccharides suggests that the mutant is defective in the enzyme which transfers glucose to the growing lipopolysaccharide core, UDPglucose transferase. Thus, the mutant's deficiency in galactose-containing lipopolysaccharide can be ascribed to the fact that addition of glucose to the lipopolysaccharide core is a prerequisite for galactose addition. The physiological implications of this alteration are discussed.     

Asymmetric localization of lipopolysaccharides on the outer membrane of Salmonella typhimurium.

Treatment of intact cells of Salmonella typhimurium with galactose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.9) resulted in an extensive oxidation of the susceptible galactose residues in the lipopolysaccharides. Comparison with the extent of oxidation in isolated lipopolysaccharides indicated that most lipopolysaccharide molecules were located in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane in intact cells.     

In vitro reassembly of the membranous vesicle from Escherichia coli outer membrane components: Role of individual compnents and magnesium ions in reassembly

A method was developed for the reassembly of membranous vesicle from the sodium dcoxycholate-dissociated outer membrane components of Escherichia coli. The removal of the detergent by dialysis and the presence of Mg²⁺ were essential for the reassembly.Membrane protein alone did not form any membranous structure. Closed membranous vesicles similar to the native outer membrane were reassembled only when protein was mixed with both lipopolysaccharide and phospholipid in deoxycholate solution and subsequently dialyzed. The membrane showed a distinct trilaminar structure with a center-to-center distance between two dark lines of 53 Å, which is a characteristic of the native outer membrane. This characteristic trilaminar structure was shown to be due to the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Phospholipd was required for the vesicularization of membrane. Lipopolysaccharide and/or phospholipid formed a membranous structure in the absence of protein, while the morphology of their negatively stained sample was quite different from that of the native outer membrane unless the outer membrane protein was added to the reassembly mixture.The protein from the cytoplasmic membrane was unable to reform membranous vesicle with lipopolysaccharide and phospholipid, indicating that the reassembly system discriminated outer membrane proteins from cytoplasmic membrane proteins.     

Strain-specific variation in the protein and lipopolysaccharide composition of the group B meningococcal outer membrane.

Variation in the protein and lipopolysaccharide composition of the meningococcal outer membrane may be due to either serotype differences or to changes in cultural conditions. There are 12 antigenically distinct serotypes of group B meningococci, and these are associated with distinct major outer membrane protein patterns on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. In most strains the predominant outer membrane protein carries the serotype-specific determinant. Certain strains, when grown under similar conditions in different media showed an altered membrane composition. The type 2 strain, M986, grown in modified Frantz medium-A, had a reduced amount of the major 41,000-dalton protein while a 28,000-dalton protein predominated. The altered protein composition may be related to changes in cell metabolism as reflected by the pH of the medium after growth. Growth of the organism in Frantz medium-B caused a negligible drop in pH and the 41,000-dalton protein remained predominant. There was also variation associated with changes in the growth rate. Increasing the aeration caused a concomitant increase in growth rate and cell yield. We observed two quantitative changes in outer membrane proteins in four of seven strains examined: (i) where only a single major protein changed (three strains), and (ii) where an increase in one protein component was associated with a decrease in another protein (one strain). When the strains were grown in tryptic soy broth (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) with either high or low aeration, the total protein in the outer membrane remained constant. In contrast, with high aeration there was a significant increase in lipopolysaccharide. These studies suggest that the cell surface proteins may be altered by the organism to meet a variety of environmental conditions.     

Comparison of the cell envelope structure of a lipopolysaccharide-defective (heptose-deficient) strain and a smooth strain of Salmonella typhimurium.

The cell envelope structure of Salmonella typhimurium LT2, which has a heptose-deficient lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is significantly different from that of an isogenic strain with a normal LPS. The rough strain, when examined by freeze-etching, lacks most surface structures that are routinely present in the smooth strain (surface particles and flagella) and has few transmemberane studs in the cytoplasmic membrane (those present are generally found in aggregates), and the outer membrane cleavage is substantially stronger than that of the smooth strain. These envelope differences were independent of both growth temperature and culture age. Examination of ultrathin sections indicated that the rough strain has an outer membrane which forms a much more defined double-track artifact than the smooth strain. The addition of MgCl2 to the growth medium of the rough strain decreased the extent of outer membrane cleavage, and flagella became evident in freeze-etched preparations. The presence of supplemental MgCl2 in the growth medium, which resulted in these morphological changes in the rough strain, also produced growth at a previously restrictive temperature and a decrease in the leakage of periplasmic enzymes. The smooth strain was unaltered morphologically or physiologically by MgCl2 under identical conditions. It is suggested that the outer membrane of the rough strain is more planar.     

Fine structure of the cell envelope layers of Flexibacter polymorphus.

Electron microscopy of the filamentous gliding marine bacterium Flexibacter polymorphus demonstrated that the cell envelope consists of an electron-dense intermediate layer located between two unit-type membranes: an outer membrane, presumably of lipopolysaccharide, and an inner cytoplasmic membrane. Separation of living filaments into single cells by lysozyme suggests that a peptidoglycan moiety, possibly corresponding to the intermediate layer, might be situated between the two membranes. Cell division proceeds by invagination of the cytoplasmic membrane and intermediate layer forming a transverse septum. Cells generally fail to separate after the division process, so that a common outer membrane encloses all of the cells in a single filament. There is a continuous layer of macromolecular cup-shaped elements ('goblets') attached to the outermost surface of the lipopolysaccharide membrane. Tangential thin sections, as well as negatively stained preparations of envelope fragments (produced by sonication of autolyzed cells), showed that the goblets are arranged in a close-packed hexagonal array. The presence of electron-dense structures located between the outer and inner membranes, and exhibiting the same periodicity as the goblets, suggests that some part of the goblets penetrates the outer membrane and extends across the periplasmic space to the dense intermediate layer or cytoplasmic membrane. Spontaneous autolysis in aging cultures is accompanied by the formation and release into the culture medium of large numbers of outer membrane vesicles coated with globlets. A tentative reconstruction of the envelope of F. polymorphus, based on the fine-structural data, is presented.     

The two-component colR/S system of Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 plays a role in rhizosphere competence through maintaining the structure and function of the outer membrane

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain PCL1210, a competitive tomato root tip colonization mutant of the efficient root colonizing wild type strain WCS365, is impaired in the two-component sensor-response regulator system ColR/ColS. Here we show that a putative methyltransferase/wapQ operon is located downstream of colR/colS and that this operon is regulated by ColR/ColS. Since wapQ encodes a putative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) phosphatase, the possibility was studied that the integrity of the outer membrane of PCL1210 was altered. Indeed, it was shown that mutant PCL1210 is more resistant to various chemically unrelated antibiotics which have to pass the outer membrane for their action. In contrast, the mutant is more sensitive to the LPS-binding antibiotic polymyxin B. Mutant PCL1210 loses growth in competition with its wild type when grown in tomato root exudate. Mutants in the methyltransferase/wapQ operon are also altered in their outer membrane permeability and are defective in competitive tomato root tip colonization. A model for the altered outer membrane of PCL1210 is discussed.     

Lipid trafficking to the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria

The envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is composed of two distinct lipid membranes: an inner membrane and outer membrane. The outer membrane is an asymmetric bilayer with an inner leaflet of phospholipids and an outer leaflet of lipopolysaccharide. Most of the steps of lipid synthesis occur within the cytoplasmic compartment of the cell. Lipids must then be transported across the inner membrane and delivered to the outer membrane. These topological features combined with the ability to apply the tools of biochemistry and genetics make the Gram-negative envelope a fascinating model for the study of lipid trafficking. In addition, as lipopolysaccharide is essential for growth of most strains and is a potent inducer of the mammalian innate immune response via activation of Toll-like receptors, Gram-negative lipid transport is also a promising target for the development of novel antibacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds. This review focuses on recent developments in our understanding of lipid transport across the inner membrane and to the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.     

A quantitative ultramorphological approach for systematic assessment of sperm head regions: an example in rams

Examination of the type and frequency of damage to the head of spermatozoa using electron microscopy can be used to evaluate the quality of differently treated sperm. This report describes a systematic approach based on 29 morphological categories of sperm heads assessed from discrete regions in raw, chilled and frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Injury occurred principally at the plasma membrane and could be present or absent in all regions. In the anterior segment, when the plasma membrane is present, it can be intact, dilated, very dilated, disrupted, or contain vesicles characteristic of acrosomal reaction-like capacitation changes. When the plasma membrane is absent, the acrosome may be intact, exhibit a complete loss of contents, or retain some contents of the apical ridge and present a very dilated outer acrosomal membrane. The plasma membrane in the equatorial segment and the boundary between regions can be intact, dilated, very dilated or disrupted. The post-acrosomal plasma membrane is classified as intact, dilated or very dilated, whereas the dense lamina is intact, dilated or fragmented. The morphology of the heads most frequently observed in chilled spermatozoa consists of anterior and equatorial segments with a dilated, or dilated and disrupted plasma membrane; a boundary between regions with an intact and dilated plasma membrane; and a post-acrosomal region with an intact plasma membrane and dense lamina, both dilated. In frozen-thawed spermatozoa, the morphology of the heads is more frequently characterised by no plasma membrane and an acrosome showing complete or some loss of contents in the apical ridge and very dilated outer acrosomal membrane, presenting mostly dilated and fragmented dense lamina in the post-acrosomal region. These findings are consistent with the conclusion that the freezing process produces an increase in the degree of damage to the cells when they are subjected to increasing degrees of cold shock. There are still difficulties in developing a good diluent and process for preserving the plasma membrane in ram spermatozoa. This systematisation, using different categories, allows characterisation of multiple transmission electron microscopy images. Thus, the different changes observed due to cryopreservation may be correlated.     

Identification of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris galactose utilization genes from transcriptome data

A 70 mer oligonucleotide microarray was constructed to analyze genome-wide expression profiles of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris B100, a plant-pathogenic bacterium that is industrially employed to produce the exopolysaccharide xanthan gum which has many applications as a stabilizing, thickening, gelling, and emulsifying agent in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. As an application example, global changes of gene expression were monitored during growth of X. campestris pv. campestris B100 on two different carbon sources. Exponential growing bacterial cultures were incubated either for 1h or permanently in minimal medium supplemented with 1% galactose in comparison to growth in minimal medium supplemented with 1% glucose. Six genes were identified that were significantly increased in gene expression under both growth conditions. These genes were located in three distinguished chromosomal regions in operon-like gene clusters. Genes from these clusters encode secreted glycosidases, which were predicted to be specific for galactose-containing carbohydrates, as well as transport proteins probably located in the outer and inner cell membrane. Finally genes from one cluster code for cytoplasmic enzymes of a metabolic pathway specific for the breakdown of galactose to intermediates of glycolysis.     

Isolation and partial characterization of outer and inner membranes from encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b.

A method has been developed to separate the cell envelope of encapsulated (type b) Haemophilus influenzae into its outer and inner membrane components with procedures that avoided two problems encountered in fractionation of this envelope: (i) the tendency of the outer and inner membranes to hybridize and (ii) the tendency of the apparently fragile inner membrane to fragment into difficulty sedimentable units. Log phage cells, whose lipids were radioactively labeled, were lysed by passage through a French press. The lysate was applied to a discontinuous sucrose gradient, and envelope-rich material was collected by centrifugation onto a cushion of dense sucrose under carefully controlled conditions. This material was then further fractionated by isopycnic centrifugation in a sucrose gradient to yield four membrane fractions which were partially characterized. On the basis of their radioactivity, buoyant density, ultrastructure, polypeptide composition, and content of phospholipid, protein, lipopolysaccharide, and succinic dehydrogenase, these fractions were identified as follows: fraction 1, outer membrane vesicles with very little inner membrane contamination (less than 4%); fraction 2, outer membrane vesicles containing entrapped inner membrane; fraction 3, a protein-rich fraction of inner membrane; fraction 4, a protein-poor fraction of inner membrane. Fractions 3 and 4 contained about 25% outer membrane contamination.     

Effect of variations in lipopolysaccharide on the fluidity of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

The lipid hydrocarbon chains in the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria appear from previous experiments to be less mobile than in the cytoplasmic membrane. To determine whether lipopolysaccharide, a unique outer membrane component, is a cause of this restricted mobility, outer membranes differing in the amount of lipopolysaccharide, and the length of the polysaccharide side chain, were prepared from Escherichia coli J5. Cytoplasmic membranes were prepared for comparison. The probes, 5- and 12-doxylstearate, were introduced into these membranes, electron spin resonance spectra were analyzed, and the order parameter (S) and empirical motion parameter (tau0) were calculated. Outer membrane preparations containing long chain lipopolysaccharide were much less fluid by these criteria than were preparations containing short chain lipopolysaccharide. Removing about 40% of the lipopolysaccharide from the former preparations greatly increased their fluidity. The lipid in the cytoplasmic membrane preparations was more fluid than in the outer membrane and cytoplasmic membranes were similar to each other regardless of the composition of the outer membrane. These results indicate that lipopolysaccharide, and especially the polysaccharide portion, directly or indirectly causes the restricted mobility of the lipid hydrocarbon chains observed in the outer membrane.     

Comparison of methods used to separate the inner and outer membranes of cell envelopes of Campylobacter spp

The outer membrane of Campylobacter coli, C. jejuni and C. fetus cell envelopes appeared as three fractions after sucrose gradient centrifugation. Each outer membrane fraction was contaminated with succinate dehydrogenase activity from the cytoplasmic membrane fraction. Similarly the inner membrane fraction was contaminated with 2-ketodeoxyoctonate and outer membrane proteins including the porin(s). The separation of these two membranes was not facilitated by variations in lysozyme treatment, cell age, presence or absence of flagella, or longer lipopolysaccharide chain length. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate extraction resulted in an outer membrane fraction which contained some inner membrane contamination and produced multiple bands upon sucrose gradient centrifugation. Triton X-100 extraction removed the inner membrane from the outer membrane and Triton X-100/EDTA treatment extracted lipopolysaccharide-rich regions of the outer membrane which contained almost exclusively the Campylobacter porin(s). These data indicated that the inner and outer membranes of the Campylobacter cell envelope were very difficult to separate, possibly because of extensive fusions between these two membranes.     

Role of lipopolysaccharide in the receptor function for bacteriophage TuIb in Escherichia coli.

Bacteriophage TuIb required lipopolysaccharide in addition to the OmpC trimer as a receptor component. Both the fatty acid and polysaccharide regions of lipopolysaccharide were shown to participate in the receptor function. The roles of lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane proteins in the receptor function for T-even type bacteriophages are discussed.     

Nature of the regions involved in the insertion of newly synthesized protein into the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

Outer membrane proteins are synthesized by cytoplasmic membrane-bound polysomes, and inserted at insertion sites which cover about 10% of the total outer membrane when cells grow with a generation time of 1 h. A membrane fraction enriched in outer membrane insertion regions was isolated and partly characterized. The rat at which newly inserted proteins are transferred from such insertion regions into the rest of the outer membrane was found to be very fast; the new protein content of insertion regions and that of the remaining outer membrane equilibrate completely within about 20 s at 25 degrees C. Given the rather rigid structure of the outer membrane and the multiple interactions between outer membrane components and the murein layer, lateral diffusion of newly inserted proteins from insertion sites to the remaining outer membrane is not likely to explain this rapid equilibration. Instead, the data support a model in which insertion regions move along the cell surface, leaving behind stationary, newly inserted outer membrane proteins.     

Nature of the regions involved in the insertion of newly synthesized protein into the outer membrane of Escherichia coli

Outer membrane proteins are synthesized by cytoplasmic membrane-bound polysomes, and inserted at insertion sites which cover about 10% of the total outer membrane when cells grow with a generation time of 1 h. A membrane fraction enriched in outer membrane insertion regions was isolated and partly characterized. The rate at which newly inserted proteins are transferred from such insertion regions into the rest of the outer membrane was found to be very fast; the new protein content of insertion regions and that of the remaining outer membrane equilibrate completely within about 20 s at 25°C.Given the rather rigid structure of the outer membrane and the multiple interactions between outer membane components and the murein layer, lateral diffusion of newly inserted proteins from insertion sites to the remaining outer membrane is not likely to explain this rapid equilibration. Instead, the data support a model in which mobile insertion regions move along the cell surface, leaving behind stationary, newly inserted outer membrane proteins.     

Localization of the dicarboxylate binding protein in the cell envelope of Escherichia coli K12

Examination of the localization of the dicarboxylate binding protein (DBP) in the cell envelope of Escherichia coli K12 reveals that this protein is present on the cell surface, and also in the inner and outer regions of the periplasmic space. The cell surface DBP is release by treating the cells with EDTA. This protein can be surface labeled by lactoperoxidase radioiodination, and by diazo[125I]iodosulfanilic acid in whole cells. It also binds tightly, but not covalently, to lipopolysaccharide. The DBP located in the outer region of the periplasmic space is released when the outer membrane is dissociated by EDTA-osmotic shock treatment. The DBP located in the inner region of the periplasmic space is released only when the EDTA-osmotic shocked cells are subjected to lysozyme treatment. At the moment, it is not certain whether this protein is bound to or trapped by the peptidoglycan network. This protein cannot be surface labeled in whole cells or in EDTA-osmotic shock treated cells; and it is not associated with lipopolysaccharide. Analysis of transport mutants indicates that these DBP are coded by the same gene.