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 HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Massidda, O.
Right arrow Articles by Shockman, G. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Massidda, O.
Right arrow Articles by Shockman, G. D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., 09 1996, 5272-5278, Vol 178, No. 17
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Evidence that the PBP 5 synthesis repressor (psr) of Enterococcus hirae is also involved in the regulation of cell wall composition and other cell wall-related properties

O Massidda, R Kariyama, L Daneo-Moore and GD Shockman
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.

psr has been reported by M. Ligozzi, F. Pittaluga, and R. Fontana, (J. Bacteriol. 175:2046-2051, 1993) to be a genetic element located just upstream of the structural gene for the low-affinity penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP 5) in the chromosome of Enterococcus hirae ATCC 9790 and to be involved in the repression of PBP 5 synthesis. By comparing properties of strains of E. hirae that contain a full-length, functional psr with those of strains that possess a truncated form of the gene, we have obtained data that indicate that psr is involved in the regulation of several additional surface-related properties. We observed that cells of strains that possessed a truncated psr were more sensitive to lysozyme-catalyzed protoplast formation, autolyzed more rapidly in 10 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.8), and, in contrast to strains that possess a functional psr, retained these characteristics after the cultures entered the stationary growth phase. Cellular lytic properties did not correlate with differences in the cellular contents of muramidase-1 or muramidase-2, with the levels of PBP 5 produced, or with the penicillin susceptibilities of the strains. However, a strong correlation was observed with the amounts of rhamnose present in the cell walls of the various strains. All of the strains examined that possessed a truncated form of psr also possessed approximately one-half of the rhamnose content present in the walls of strains that possessed a functional psr. These data suggest that psr is also involved in the regulation of the synthesis of, or covalent linkage to the cell wall peptidoglycan of, a rhamnose-rich polysaccharide. These differences in cell wall composition could be responsible for the observed phenotypic differences. However, the multiple effects of psr suggest that it is part of a global regulatory system that, perhaps independently, affects several cell surface-related properties.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kruszewska, D., Podgurniak, P., Ljungh, A., Sebastian, A., Larsson, L., Zajdel-Dabrowska, J., Pierzynowski, S. G (2005). Extremely low electrical current generated by porcine small intestine smooth muscle alters bacterial autolysin production. Exp Physiol 90: 855-863 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mohn, S. C., Ulvik, A., Jureen, R., Willems, R. J. L., Top, J., Leavis, H., Harthug, S., Langeland, N. (2004). Duplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Rapid Detection of Ampicillin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48: 556-560 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sapunaric, F., Franssen, C., Stefanic, P., Amoroso, A., Dardenne, O., Coyette, J. (2003). Redefining the Role of psr in {beta}-Lactam Resistance and Cell Autolysis of Enterococcus hirae. J. Bacteriol. 185: 5925-5935 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rossi, J., Bischoff, M., Wada, A., Berger-Bachi, B. (2003). MsrR, a Putative Cell Envelope-Associated Element Involved in Staphylococcus aureus sarA Attenuation. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 47: 2558-2564 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liu, S., Graham, J. E., Bigelow, L., Morse, P. D. II, Wilkinson, B. J. (2002). Identification of Listeria monocytogenes Genes Expressed in Response to Growth at Low Temperature. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 1697-1705 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rice, L. B., Carias, L. L., Hutton-Thomas, R., Sifaoui, F., Gutmann, L., Rudin, S. D. (2001). Penicillin-Binding Protein 5 and Expression of Ampicillin Resistance in Enterococcus faecium. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45: 1480-1486 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Paget, M. S. B., Chamberlin, L., Atrih, A., Foster, S. J., Buttner, M. J. (1999). Evidence that the Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factor sigma E Is Required for Normal Cell Wall Structure in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). J. Bacteriol. 181: 204-211 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Qin, X., Singh, K. V., Xu, Y., Weinstock, G. M., Murray, B. E. (1998). Effect of Disruption of a Gene Encoding an Autolysin of Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 42: 2883-2888 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»