This Article
Right arrow Full Text
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 Weaver, K. E.
Right arrow Articles by Ehli, E. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Weaver, K. E.
Right arrow Articles by Ehli, E. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, April 2003, p. 2169-2177, Vol. 185, No. 7
0021-9193/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.185.7.2169-2177.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Enterococcus faecalis Plasmid pAD1-Encoded Fst Toxin Affects Membrane Permeability and Alters Cellular Responses to Lantibiotics

Keith E. Weaver,1* Dariel M. Weaver,1 Carol L. Wells,2 Christopher M. Waters,3 Marshall E. Gardner,1 and Erik A. Ehli1

Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069,1 Departments of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0374,2 Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 554553

Received 18 September 2002/ Accepted 29 December 2002

Fst is a peptide toxin encoded by the par toxin-antitoxin stability determinant of Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pAD1. Intracellular overproduction of Fst resulted in simultaneous inhibition of all cellular macromolecular synthesis concomitant with cell growth inhibition and compromised the integrity of the cell membrane. Cells did not lyse or noticeably leak intracellular contents but had specific defects in chromosome partitioning and cell division. Extracellular addition of synthetic Fst had no effect on cell growth. Spontaneous Fst-resistant mutants had a phenotype consistent with changes in membrane composition. Interestingly, overproduction of Fst sensitized cells to the lantibiotic nisin, and Fst-resistant mutants were cross-resistant to nisin and the pAD1-encoded cytolysin.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069. Phone: (605) 677-5169. Fax: (605) 677-6381. E-mail: kweaver{at}usd.edu.

Journal of Bacteriology, April 2003, p. 2169-2177, Vol. 185, No. 7
0021-9193/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.185.7.2169-2177.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Weaver, K. E., Reddy, S. G., Brinkman, C. L., Patel, S., Bayles, K. W., Endres, J. L. (2009). Identification and characterization of a family of toxin-antitoxin systems related to the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pAD1 par addiction module. Microbiology 155: 2930-2940 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fozo, E. M., Hemm, M. R., Storz, G. (2008). Small Toxic Proteins and the Antisense RNAs That Repress Them. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 72: 579-589 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Moritz, E. M., Hergenrother, P. J. (2007). Toxin-antitoxin systems are ubiquitous and plasmid-encoded in vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 311-316 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Patel, S., Weaver, K. E. (2006). Addiction Toxin Fst Has Unique Effects on Chromosome Segregation and Cell Division in Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus subtilis.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 5374-5384 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zielenkiewicz, U., Ceglowski, P. (2005). The Toxin-Antitoxin System of the Streptococcal Plasmid pSM19035. J. Bacteriol. 187: 6094-6105 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Weaver, K. E., Ehli, E. A., Nelson, J. S., Patel, S. (2004). Antisense RNA Regulation by Stable Complex Formation in the Enterococcus faecalis Plasmid pAD1 par Addiction System. J. Bacteriol. 186: 6400-6408 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hayes, F. (2003). Toxins-Antitoxins: Plasmid Maintenance, Programmed Cell Death, and Cell Cycle Arrest. Science 301: 1496-1499 [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»