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J. Bacteriol., May 1996, 2479-2488, Vol 178, No. 9
Z Li, AJ Clarke and TJ Beveridge
A 26-kDa murein hydrolase is the major autolysin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PAO1, and its expression can be correlated with the growth and division of
cells in both batch and synchronously growing cultures. In batch cultures,
it is detected primarily during the mid-exponential growth phase, and in
synchronous cultures, it is detected primarily during the cell elongation
and division phases. Immunogold labeling of thin sections of P. aeruginosa
using antibodies raised against the 26- kDa autolysin revealed that it is
associated mainly with the cell envelope and in particular within the
periplasm. It is also tightly bound to the peptidoglycan layer, since
murein sacculi, isolated by boiling 4% sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment,
could also be immunogold labeled. Since division is due to cell
constriction in this P. aeruginosa strain (septa are rarely seen), we
cannot comment on the autolysin's contribution to septation, although
constriction sites were always heavily labeled. Some labeling was also
found in the cytoplasm, and this was thought to be due to the de novo
synthesis of the enzyme before translocation to the periplasm.
Interestingly, the autolysin was also found to be associated with natural
membrane vesicles which blebbed from the surface during cell growth; the
enzyme is therefore part of the complex makeup of these membrane packages
of secreted materials (J. L. Kadurugamuwa and T. J. Beveridge, J.
Bacteriol. 177:3998-4008, 1995). The expression of these membrane vesicles
was correlated with the expression of B-band lipopolysaccharide.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
A major autolysin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: subcellular distribution, potential role in cell growth and division and secretion in surface membrane vesicles
Center for Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network, Department of Microbiology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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