A novel technique for the preparation of transport-active membrane vesicles from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: observations on gluconate transport

Membrane vesicles were prepared from glucose-grown $\text{Pseudomonas aeruginosa}$ by osmotic lysis of cells treated with LiCl and lysozyme. These vesicles accumulated gluconate by coupling active transport with electron flow via FAD-linked l-malate dehydrogenase or d-glucose dehydrogenase. Glucose was not transported as the free sugar; instead, it was first oxidized to gluconate which was then transported by the gluconate transport system. Evidence was presented that suggested that a component(s) of the glucose transport system was lost during vesicle preparation.