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Journal of Bacteriology, September 2008, p. 6070-6075, Vol. 190, No. 18
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00736-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Protein Aggregates: an Aging Factor Involved in Cell Death{triangledown}

Etienne Maisonneuve, Benjamin Ezraty, and Sam Dukan*

Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UPR 9043-CNRS/Université de la Méditerranée, 31, Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille, France

Received 23 May 2008/ Accepted 1 July 2008

In a previous study, we demonstrated the presence of protein aggregates in an exponentially grown Escherichia coli culture. In light of these observations, protein aggregates could be considered damage to cells that is able to pass from one generation to the next. Based on the assumption that the amount of aggregate protein could represent an aging factor, we monitored this amount in a bacterial culture during senescence. In doing so, we observed (i) a significant increase in the amount of aggregate protein over time, (ii) a proportional relationship between the amount of aggregate protein and the level of dead cells, (iii) a larger amount in dead cells than in culturable cells, (iv) a heterogeneous distribution of different amounts within a homogenous population of culturable cells entering stasis, and (v) that the initial amount of aggregate protein within a culturable population conditioned the death rate of the culture. Together, the results presented in this study suggest that protein aggregates indeed represent one aging factor leading to bacterial cell death.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UPR 9043, CNRS-31, Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille, France. Phone: 33 (4) 91 16 44 08. Fax: 33 (4) 91 16 89 14. E-mail: sdukan{at}ibsm.cnrs-mrs.fr

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 11 July 2008.

Journal of Bacteriology, September 2008, p. 6070-6075, Vol. 190, No. 18
0021-9193/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00736-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

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  • Maisonneuve, E., Fraysse, L., Lignon, S., Capron, L., Dukan, S. (2008). Carbonylated Proteins Are Detectable Only in a Degradation-Resistant Aggregate State in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 190: 6609-6614 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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