Genetic determinant of pyocin R2 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO. II. Physical characterization of pyocin R2 genes using R-prime plasmids constructed from R68.45

The chromosome segment which contains the genes responsible for production of pyocin R2 in P. aeruginosa PAO was defined physically using R-prime plasmids constructed in vivo from R68.45. The previous conclusion from genetic mapping that the cluster of pyocin R2 genes is located in between trpC and trpE genes was confirmed by deletion mapping of various R prime plasmids bearing the trpC gene. The pyocin R2 gene cluster was further localized on two contiguous HindIII fragments of 16 kb and 8.0 kb. PML14 strain, in which R-type pyocin genes were completely deleted, had only one 11 kb HindIII fragment instead. Heteroduplexes between this 11 kb fragment with the two HindIII fragments of PAO revealed that the cluster of pyocin R2 genes was an insertion 13 kb long.     

Genetic determinant of pyocin R2 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO. I. Localization of the pyocin R2 gene cluster between the trpCD and trpE genes

Thirty-seven mutants defective in pyocin R2 production in the P. aeruginosa PAO strain were subjected to fine mapping of pyocin R2 genes by transduction with phage F116L. Sixteen complementation groups (designated prtA through prtP) involved in pyocin R2 production were tentatively identified by complementation tests using phage F116L. Their linkages to trpC and trpE markers and fine mapping by three point crosses demonstrated that most of the mutations (prtA through prtN) were located in between trpC and trpE, and that the prtP mutation was localized outside this major prt cluster but in the proximity of the rifA and strA region.     

Sulfhydryl groups of pyocin R1. Morphology and activity modified with sulfhydryl reagents.

Electron microscopic observation of pyocin R1 with the negative staining technique demonstrated that pyocin R1 retained its phage tail-like shape of an extended sheath even when it was inactivated by treatment with p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB) or 4-(p-sulfophenylazo)-2-mercuriphenol (SAMP). Thus it was shown that the contraction and extension of the sheath does not occur reversibly on the modification of sulfhydryl groups accompanying the change of activity. The activity lost under these conditions was restored to the original level by treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Numbers of sulfhydryl groups in the pyocin R1 particle were determined to be 208 mol and 152 mol per mol (11.8 x 10(6) daltons) by spectrophotometric titration with SAMP and by membrane-filter assay with radioactive PCMB, respectively. Most of these cysteine residues appeared to be localized in the substructure other than the sheath and core. It was also shown that all of these sulfhydryl groups were not necessary for expression of its activity but a part of them were essential for adsorption to the sensitive cells.     

Isolation, homogeneity, and properties of core particle from pyocin R1.

By a mild alkaline treatment of pyocin R1, the core particle was released from the contracted sheath. After sucrose density-gradient centrifugation, core-rich fractions were treated with anti-sheath serum and by a second density-gradient centrifugation, purified core particles were isolated. Homogeneity of the preparation was confirmed by observation under the electron microscope, immuno-precipitation reaction, and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. The core particle exhibited a sedimentation coefficient of 37S. The quaternary structure of the core consists of a single kind of subunit protein with a molecular weight of 18,000. No contamination by other proteins was detected by SDS-disc electrophoreses. Amino acid analysis revealed that the core is rich in glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, aspartic acid (or asparagine), glutamic acid (or glutamine), and serine. This amino acid composition bears some resemblance to that of T-even bacteriophage tail-core.     

Phenotypic mixing of pyocin R2 and bacteriophage PS17 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO.

Previous results indicate that a group of bacteriocins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, named R-type pyocins, have a structure resembling bacteriophage tails and share some serological homology with certain bacteriophages. This paper presents genetic evidence which strongly suggests that components of pyocin R2, an R-type pyocin of P. aeruginosa PAO, and tail components of bacteriophage PS17 are interchangeable. Complementation tests with pyocin R2-deficient mutants of PAO and ts mutants of PS17 revealed that various phenotypic interactions occur between the pyocin and bacteriophage in PAO cells lysogenized or infected with PS17. (i) Certain pyocin R2-deficient mutations were phenotypically suppressed in cells carrying PS17 prophage. (ii) A temperature-sensitive mutant of PS17, tsQ31, was phenotypically suppressed in PAO cells treated with mitomycin C. (iii) Phenotypically mixed phages with receptor and serological specificities of pyocin R2 were formed in PS17 lysogens of certain pyocin R2-deficient mutants.     

A circular dichroism study of sheath contraction in pyocin R1

Pyocin R1, a bacteriocin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is a protein particle shaped like a bacteriophage tail composed of a contractile sheath, core, baseplate and tail fibers. Alkaline treatment with sodium carbonate caused sheath contraction without considerable disassembly of other components. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of pyocin R1 before and after the treatment, and of isolated sheath, were measured in wavelength regions around 220 and 290 nm at neutral pH. The alkaline treatment caused a red shift of the minimum from 208 nm to 212 nm. A marked difference in the CD spectrum was found in the near-ultraviolet region. THe difference is considered to be mainly due to a CD spectra change of tryptophan residues in the sheath subunits.     

A fluorescent probe response to the interaction of pyocin R1 with sensitive cells.

Additon of pyocin R1, a bacteriocin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to sensitive cells caused a fluorescence increase of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) in the cell suspension. The reaction was rapid, starting with a short time lag after adsorption of pyocin onto the cells and finishing within several minutes. The fluorescence response was attributed to the interaction of the cell body and ANS, not to that of the medium outside the cells and ANS. The maximal amplitude of fluorescence after pyocin addition was dependent on temperature, and the relation appeared to be biphasic. Similarly, Arrhenius plots of the initial rate of fluorescence change were biphasic. The transition of slopes in both cases occurred in the temperature range between 18 and 19 degrees. These results suggest that ANS interacts with lipids in the cell envelope and that pyocin causes a structural change of the cell envelope leading to increased fluorescence of ANS.     

Effect of pyocin R1 on the glucose metabolism of sensitive cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The effect of pyocin R1 on the glucose metabolism of sensitive Pseudomonas cells was investigated. Upon treatment with pyocin R1, although the rate of O2 uptake of the sensitive cells for glucose or gluconate was not very much affected at first, the final level of O2 uptake was greatly reduced. When 2-oxogluconate was used as a substrate, O2 uptake was immediately halted by pyocin. By determining the amounts of glucose, gluconate, and 2-oxogluconate before and after the reaction and the amount of O2 consumed, it was concluded that glucose was exclusively metabolized via the following pathway with quantitative accumulation of 2-oxogluconate after pyocin treatment. (Formula: see text). The possible mechanism of this change is discussed.