This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Monner, D. A. Articles by Boman, H. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Monner, D. A. Articles by Boman, H. G.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1971 August; 107(2): 420-432
Copyright © 1971 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Ampicillin-Resistant Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 with Lipopolysaccharide Alterations Affecting Mating Ability and Susceptibility to Sex-Specific Bacteriophages

¹ Department of Microbiology, University of Umeå, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

ABSTRACT

Mutations from moderate (class I) to high (class III) ampicillin resistance in a male and a female strain of Escherichia coli K-12 have been found to be accompanied by surface alterations, first demonstrated as hindrance in the formation of mating pairs. These changes have now been studied with the ribonucleic acid phage MS2, and especially with the "female-specific" phage W. Several class III mutations in male and female strains were found to make the cells susceptible to phage W and to reduce their abilities to form mating pairs. Spontaneous phage W-resistant mutants isolated from class III strains were found also to have acquired changes in ampicillin resistance and ability to form mating pairs. One mutant had reverted to parental class I type in all three properties. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) prepared from W-sensitive class III strains inactivated the phage in vitro, whereas LPS from phage-resistant strains had no effect. Carbohydrate analyses of LPS preparations showed that two class III mutants, compared to their parental strains, had lost significant parts of the rhamnose, galactose, and glucose from the LPS. One of the phage W-resistant mutants showed a partial restoration of its carbohydrate composition. Other W-resistant mutants showed, instead, further losses of carbohydrates in their LPS. It is suggested that genes exist which simultaneously mediate a female-specific mating site, ampicillin resistance, and the receptors for phage W.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Nishiyama, K.-i., Ikegami, A., Moser, M., Schiltz, E., Tokuda, H., Muller, M. (2006). A Derivative of Lipid A Is Involved in Signal Recognition Particle/SecYEG-dependent and -independent Membrane Integrations. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 35667-35676 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nusslein, K., Arnt, L., Rennie, J., Owens, C., Tew, G. N. (2006). Broad-spectrum antibacterial activity by a novel abiogenic peptide mimic. Microbiology 152: 1913-1918 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Garcia, E., Elliott, J. M., Ramanculov, E., Chain, P. S. G., Chu, M. C., Molineux, I. J. (2003). The Genome Sequence of Yersinia pestis Bacteriophage {phi}A1122 Reveals an Intimate History with the Coliphage T3 and T7 Genomes. J. Bacteriol. 185: 5248-5262 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nelson, M. L., Levy, S. B. (1999). Reversal of Tetracycline Resistance Mediated by Different Bacterial Tetracycline Resistance Determinants by an Inhibitor of the Tet(B) Antiport Protein. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 43: 1719-1724 [Abstract] [Full Text]