Inhibition of bacterial cell wall mucopeptide synthesis: A new function of RNA bacteriophage Qβ |
| |
Authors: | Makoto Ozaki Raymond C Valentine |
| |
Institution: | Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Calif. 94720 U.S.A. |
| |
Abstract: | Studies of the morphology of Escherichia coli showed that these bacilli when infected with RNA phage Qβ in broth containing hypertonic sucrose and Mg2+ formed osmotically labile spherical cells or spheroplasts. Phage-induced spheroplasts readily released their burst of phage when diluted into ordinary culture broth without sucrose. Investigation of the mechanism of host cell lysis revealed that incorporation of 3H]diaminopimelic acid (DAP) into the mucopeptide layer of the cell wall was markedly inhibited starting at about the midpoint of the phage replication cycle. The major site of inhibition is the DAP-containing mucopeptide layer since the synthesis of the lipoprotein-lipopolysaccharide layer, making up the bulk of the cell wall of E. coli, was not affected. A model for Qβ-mediated cell lysis is discussed which is analogous to penicillin-induced cell rupture. |
| |
Keywords: | DAP α ?-diamino-pimelic acid MGC modified glucose complex medium |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |