Metabolism of periplasmic membrane-derived oligosaccharides by the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Bacteriol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5381217

Ruby, E G; McCabe, J B

Membrane-derived oligosaccharides (MDO), a class of osmotically active carbohydrates, are the major organic solutes present in the periplasm of Escherichia coli and many other gram-negative bacteria when cells are grown in a medium of low osmolarity. Analyses of growing cells of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a gram-negative predator of other bacteria, have confirmed that they also synthesize a characteristic MDO-like class of oligosaccharides. The natural growth environment of bdellovibrios is the periplasm of other gram-negative bacteria. Because of this location, prey cell MDO constitute a potential source of organic nutrients for growing bdellovibrios. Using cells of E. coli whose MDO were /sup 3/H labeled, we examined the extent to which B. bacteriovorus 109J metabolizes these prey cell components. Interestingly, there was neither significant degradation nor incorporation of prey cell MDO by bdellovibrios during the course of their intracellular growth. In fact, bdellovibrios had little capability either to degrade extracellular MDO that was made available to them or to transport glucose, the major monomeric constituent of prey cell MDO. Instead, periplasmic MDO were irreversibly lost to the extracellular environment during the period of bdellovibrio attack and penetration. Thus, although prey cell periplasmic proteins are retained, other important periplasmic components are released early in the bdellovibrio growth cycle. The loss of these MDO may aid in the destabilization of the prey cell plasma membrane, increasing the availability of cytoplasmic constituents to the periplasmic bdellovibrio.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 5381217
• Journal Information: J. Bacteriol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bacteriol.; (United States) Vol. 170:2; ISSN JOBAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
550701 -- Microbiology-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
CARBOHYDRATES
GROWTH
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
OLIGOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS
SACCHARIDES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS