JB
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Higerd, T. B.
Right arrow Articles by Berk, R. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Higerd, T. B.
Right arrow Articles by Berk, R. S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1969 June; 98(3): 1378-1389
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Morphological Studies on Relaxed and Contracted Forms of Purified Pyocin Particles

Thomas B. Higerd1, Charles A. Baechler and Richard S. Berk

a Department of Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48207

ABSTRACT

The bacteriocin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pyocin, consists of a contractile sheath and inner core reminiscent of T-even coliphage tails. Contraction of the outer sheath was found to be promoted by 0.5 M magnesium chloride, 1% Formalin, low pH, sonic treatment, and freezing or thawing or both. The contraction caused by 0.5 M magnesium chloride, however, was found to be reversible and occurred upon reduction of the salt concentration from 0.5 to 0.02 M. In addition, direct assay showed that pyocin activity was nearly proportional to the percentage of only uncontracted forms. Initial studies suggested that the adsorption of purified pyocin onto cell wall fragments from the sensitive indicator strain of P. aeruginosa occurs with the relaxed particle only and not with the contracted form. However, after adsorption, contraction occurred. Various morphological structures, such as tail fibers and base-platelike appendages, were also observed. Upon contraction, six tail fibers were observed on many particles, four of which appeared to originate from the sheath and two from the inner core. Polysheaths and polycores several hundred nanometers in length were also occasionally observed.

FOOTNOTES

1 Predoctoral fellow of the National Institutes of Health (3F1-GM-36, 556-01S2).

J Bacteriol. 1969 June; 98(3): 1378-1389
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
Appl. Environ. Microbiol. Infect. Immun. Eukaryot. Cell
Mol. Cell. Biol. J. Virol. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
ALL ASM JOURNALS

Copyright © 1969 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.