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 Raynor, R. H.
Right arrow Articles by Best, G. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Raynor, R. H.
Right arrow Articles by Best, G. K.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 August; 16(2): 134-140
Copyright © 1979, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Oxacillin-Induced Lysis of Staphylococcus aureus

Robert H. Raynor, David F. Scott and Gary K. Best

1 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30901

ABSTRACT

Six clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were compared for their relative susceptibilities to the killing effects of oxacillin. Three of the strains had minimum bactericidal concentrations which were >10 times the minimum bacteriostatic concentration for this antibiotic and were designated tolerant (Tol+). The other strains had minimum bactericidal concentrations which were comparable to the minimum bacteriostatic concentration (Tol–). Lysis curves of these strains revealed that the Tol+ strains exhibited a diminished rate of lysis when inhibited by oxacillin. This reduced rate of lysis was reflected also in a reduced rate of viability loss when the cells were exposed to oxacillin. During log growth the uptake of [14C]glycerol by Tol+ cells was 1.5-fold greater than that by Tol– cells. Glycerol-labeled cells of each phenotype secreted radioactivity when inhibited by oxacillin. However, the Tol+ strains released over twice as much label as the Tol– strains. No difference in the proportion of lipid secreted by the two phenotypes was found. The behavior of 60 to 65% of the labeled material released by inhibited cells during both sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and Sepharose 6B chromatography corresponded to that of lipoteichoic acid. When the major component of secreted material was added to oxacillin-inhibited Tol– strains, an inhibition of the lytic response was observed. These results suggest that oxacillin tolerance in S. aureus could be related to the enhanced secretion of an autolysin inhibitor, such as lipoteichoic acid.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 August; 16(2): 134-140
Copyright © 1979, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Stapleton, P. D., Shah, S., Ehlert, K., Hara, Y., Taylor, P. W. (2007). The beta-lactam-resistance modifier (-)-epicatechin gallate alters the architecture of the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. Microbiology 153: 2093-2103 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • van Langevelde, P., van Dissel, J. T., Ravensbergen, E., Appelmelk, B. J., Schrijver, I. A., Groeneveld, P. H. P. (1998). Antibiotic-Induced Release of Lipoteichoic Acid and Peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus aureus: Quantitative Measurements and Biological Reactivities. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 42: 3073-3078 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bayer, A. S. (1982). Staphylococcal Bacteremia and Endocarditis: State of the Art. Arch Intern Med 142: 1169-1177 [Abstract]  
  • KAYE, D. (1980). The Clinical Significance of Tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus. ANN INTERN MED 93: 924-926 [Abstract]  


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