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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 2007, p. 252-256, Vol. 51, No. 1
0066-4804/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.00892-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Sublethal Concentrations of the Aminoglycoside Amikacin Interfere with Cell Division without Affecting Chromosome Dynamics{triangledown}

Christophe Possoz,1 Jason Newmark,1,2 Nohemy Sorto,1 David J. Sherratt,1 and Marcelo E. Tolmasky1,2*

Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom,1 Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California 92834-68502

Received 19 July 2006/ Returned for modification 3 September 2006/ Accepted 6 October 2006

Aminoglycosides bind to the 16S rRNA at the tRNA acceptor site (A site) and disturb protein synthesis by inducing codon misreading. We investigated Escherichia coli cell elongation and division, as well as the dynamics of chromosome replication and segregation, in the presence of sublethal concentrations of amikacin (AMK). The fates of the chromosome ori and ter loci were monitored by visualization by using derivatives of LacI and TetR fused to fluorescent proteins in E. coli strains that carry operator arrays at the appropriate locations. The results showed that cultures containing sublethal concentrations of AMK contained abnormally elongated cells. The chromosomes in these cells were properly located, suggesting that the dynamics of replication and segregation were normal. FtsZ, an essential protein in the process of cell division, was studied by using an ectopic FtsZ-cyan fluorescent protein fusion. Consistent with a defect in cell division, we revealed that the Z ring failed to properly assemble in these elongated cells.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: College of Natural Science and Mathematics, P.O. Box 6850, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92831-3599. Phone: (714) 278-5263. Fax: (714) 278-3426. E-mail: mtolmasky{at}fullerton.edu.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 16 October 2006.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, January 2007, p. 252-256, Vol. 51, No. 1
0066-4804/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.00892-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Huecas, S., Schaffner-Barbero, C., Garcia, W., Yebenes, H., Palacios, J. M., Diaz, J. F., Menendez, M., Andreu, J. M. (2007). The Interactions of Cell Division Protein FtsZ with Guanine Nucleotides. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 37515-37528 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bistue, A. J. C. S., Ha, H., Sarno, R., Don, M., Zorreguieta, A., Tolmasky, M. E. (2007). External Guide Sequences Targeting the aac(6')-Ib mRNA Induce Inhibition of Amikacin Resistance. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 1918-1925 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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