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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2005, p. 1404-1409, Vol. 49, No. 4
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.4.1404-1409.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Susceptibility to Antibiotics and ß-Lactamase Induction in Murein Hydrolase Mutants of Escherichia coli

Dorota Korsak,1,2 Sylvia Liebscher,3 and Waldemar Vollmer3*

Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Warsaw University,1 National Food and Nutrition Institute, Warsaw, Poland,2 Universität Tübingen, Fakultät für Biologie, Lehrbereich Mikrobielle Genetik, Tübingen, Germany3

Received 9 August 2004/ Returned for modification 11 October 2004/ Accepted 24 December 2004

The antibiotic susceptibilities and capabilities to induce ß-lactamases were studied in multiple Escherichia coli murein (peptidoglycan) hydrolase mutants. E. coli mutants lacking either three amidases, three amidases and one lytic transglycosylase, or six lytic transglycosylases showed higher levels of susceptibility to bacitracin, erythromycin, gallidermin, and vancomycin than the wild type. Mutant cells without three amidases lost viability in the presence of vancomycin and gallidermin, whereas the wild type was resistant to both antibiotics. ß-Lactamase induction was studied after introduction of a plasmid carrying the ampC and ampR genes. Upon addition of cefoxitin to the growth medium, the wild type as well as a mutant lacking all known amidases and DD-endopeptidases induced ß-lactamase, whereas a mutant lacking all known lytic transglycosylases was unable to induce ß-lactamase, showing that lytic transglycosylase activity is essential for ß-lactamase induction. Consequently, cells lacking lytic transglycosylase activity lysed in the presence of penicillin, despite the presence of the inducible ß-lactamase system. We discuss the potential of murein hydrolase inhibitors for antibiotic therapy.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Universität Tübingen, Fakultät für Biologie, Lehrbereich Mikrobielle Genetik, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. Phone: 49-7071-2974635. Fax: 49-7071-295065. E-mail: waldemar.vollmer{at}uni-tuebingen.de.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2005, p. 1404-1409, Vol. 49, No. 4
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.4.1404-1409.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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