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 Vaara, M.
Right arrow Articles by Nurminen, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Vaara, M.
Right arrow Articles by Nurminen, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 1999, p. 1459-1462, Vol. 43, No. 6
0066-4804/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Outer Membrane Permeability Barrier in Escherichia coli Mutants That Are Defective in the Late Acyltransferases of Lipid A Biosynthesis

Martti Vaara1,2,3,* and Marjatta Nurminen1,3

Division of Bacteriology and Immunology, Helsinki University Central Hospital,1 Department of Bacteriology, University of Helsinki,2 and Department of Bacteriology, National Public Health Institute,3 Helsinki, Finland

Received 13 October 1998/Returned for modification 28 January 1999/Accepted 28 March 1999

The tight packing of six fatty acids in the lipid A constituent of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been proposed to contribute to the unusually low permeability of the outer membrane of gram-negative enteric bacteria to hydrophobic antibiotics. Here it is shown that the Escherichia coli msbB mutant, which elaborates defective, penta-acylated lipid A, is practically as resistant to a representative set of hydrophobic solutes (rifampin, fusidic acid, erythromycin, clindamycin, and azithromycin) as the parent-type control strain. The susceptibility index, i.e., the approximate ratio between the MIC for the msbB mutant and that for the parent-type control, was maximally 2.7-fold. In comparison, the rfa mutant defective in the deep core oligosaccharide part of LPS displayed indices ranging from 20 to 64. The lpxA and lpxD lipid A mutants had indices higher than 512. Furthermore, the msbB mutant was resistant to glycopeptides (vancomycin, teicoplanin), whereas the rfa, lpxA, and lpxD mutants were susceptible. The msbB htrB double mutant, which elaborates even-more-defective, partially tetra-acylated lipid A, was still less susceptible than the rfa mutant. These findings indicate that hexa-acylated lipid A is not a prerequisite for the normal function of the outer membrane permeability barrier.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Bacteriology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-1912-6302. Fax: 358-9-1912-6382. E-mail: Martti.Vaara{at}Helsinki.fi.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 1999, p. 1459-1462, Vol. 43, No. 6
0066-4804/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Cirioni, O., Ghiselli, R., Silvestri, C., Kamysz, W., Orlando, F., Riva, A., Kamysz, E., Castelletti, S., Rocchi, M., Saba, V., Scalise, G., Giacometti, A. (2008). Efficacy of the Combination of Tachyplesin III and Clarithromycin in Rat Models of Escherichia coli Sepsis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 4351-4355 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Goldman, S. R., Tu, Y., Goldberg, M. B. (2008). Differential Regulation by Magnesium of the Two MsbB Paralogs of Shigella flexneri. J. Bacteriol. 190: 3526-3537 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Li, G., Ewers, C., Laturnus, C., Diehl, I., Alt, K., Dai, J., Antao, E.-M., Schnetz, K., Wieler, L. H. (2008). Characterization of a yjjQ mutant of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). Microbiology 154: 1082-1093 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • De Lay, N. R., Cronan, J. E. (2008). Genetic Interaction Between the Escherichia coli AcpT Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase and the YejM Inner Membrane Protein. Genetics 178: 1327-1337 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Smith, A. E., Kim, S.-H., Liu, F., Jia, W., Vinogradov, E., Gyles, C. L., Bishop, R. E. (2008). PagP Activation in the Outer Membrane Triggers R3 Core Oligosaccharide Truncation in the Cytoplasm of Escherichia coli O157:H7. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 4332-4343 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gil, H., Platz, G. J., Forestal, C. A., Monfett, M., Bakshi, C. S., Sellati, T. J., Furie, M. B., Benach, J. L., Thanassi, D. G. (2006). Deletion of TolC orthologs in Francisella tularensis identifies roles in multidrug resistance and virulence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 12897-12902 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rebeil, R., Ernst, R. K., Jarrett, C. O., Adams, K. N., Miller, S. I., Hinnebusch, B. J. (2006). Characterization of Late Acyltransferase Genes of Yersinia pestis and Their Role in Temperature-Dependent Lipid A Variation. J. Bacteriol. 188: 1381-1388 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fadl, A. A., Sha, J., Klimpel, G. R., Olano, J. P., Niesel, D. W., Chopra, A. K. (2005). Murein Lipoprotein Is a Critical Outer Membrane Component Involved in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Systemic Infection. Infect. Immun. 73: 1081-1096 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Koide, T., Zaini, P. A., Moreira, L. M., Vencio, R. Z. N., Matsukuma, A. Y., Durham, A. M., Teixeira, D. C., El-Dorry, H., Monteiro, P. B., da Silva, A. C. R., Verjovski-Almeida, S., da Silva, A. M., Gomes, S. L. (2004). DNA Microarray-Based Genome Comparison of a Pathogenic and a Nonpathogenic Strain of Xylella fastidiosa Delineates Genes Important for Bacterial Virulence. J. Bacteriol. 186: 5442-5449 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Albiger, B., Johansson, L., Jonsson, A.-B. (2003). Lipooligosaccharide-Deficient Neisseria meningitidis Shows Altered Pilus-Associated Characteristics. Infect. Immun. 71: 155-162 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • d'Hauteville, H., Khan, S., Maskell, D. J., Kussak, A., Weintraub, A., Mathison, J., Ulevitch, R. J., Wuscher, N., Parsot, C., Sansonetti, P. J. (2002). Two msbB Genes Encoding Maximal Acylation of Lipid A Are Required for Invasive Shigella flexneri to Mediate Inflammatory Rupture and Destruction of the Intestinal Epithelium. J. Immunol. 168: 5240-5251 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gill, R. T., Wildt, S., Yang, Y. T., Ziesman, S., Stephanopoulos, G. (2002). Genome-wide screening for trait conferring genes using DNA microarrays. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 7033-7038 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vorachek-Warren, M. K., Carty, S. M., Lin, S., Cotter, R. J., Raetz, C. R. H. (2002). An Escherichia coli Mutant Lacking the Cold Shock-induced Palmitoleoyltransferase of Lipid A Biosynthesis. ABSENCE OF UNSATURATED ACYL CHAINS AND ANTIBIOTIC HYPERSENSITIVITY AT 12 {degrees}C. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 14186-14193 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vorachek-Warren, M. K., Ramirez, S., Cotter, R. J., Raetz, C. R. H. (2002). A Triple Mutant of Escherichia coli Lacking Secondary Acyl Chains on Lipid A. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 14194-14205 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • van der Ley, P., Steeghs, L., Hamstra, H. J., ten Hove, J., Zomer, B., van Alphen, L. (2001). Modification of Lipid A Biosynthesis in Neisseria meningitidis lpxL Mutants: Influence on Lipopolysaccharide Structure, Toxicity, and Adjuvant Activity. Infect. Immun. 69: 5981-5990 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ulvatne, H., Karoliussen, S., Stiberg, T., Rekdal, O., Svendsen, J. S. (2001). Short antibacterial peptides and erythromycin act synergically against Escherichia coli. J Antimicrob Chemother 48: 203-208 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gronow, S., Brade, H. (2001). Invited review: Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis: which steps do bacteria need to survive?. Innate Immunity 7: 3-23 [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»