Induction of the heat shock regulon of Escherichia coli markedly increases production of bacterial viruses at high temperatures
Production of bacteriophages T2, T4, and T6 at 42.8 to 44/sup 0/C was increased from 8- to 260-fold by adapting the Escherichia coli host (grown at 30/sup 0/C) to growth at the high temperature for 8 min before infection; this increase was abolished if the host htpR (rpoH) gene was inactive. Others have shown that the htpR protein increases or activates the synthesis of at least 17 E. coli heat shock proteins upon raising the growth temperature above a certain level. At 43.8 to 44/sup 0/C in T4-infected, unadapted cells, the rates of RNA, DNA, and protein synthesis were about 100, 70 and 70%, respectively, of those in T4-infected, adapted cells. Production of the major processed capsid protein, gp23, was reduced significantly more than that of most other T4 proteins in unadapted cells relative to adapted cells. Only 4.6% of the T4 DNA made in unadapted cells was resistant to micrococcal nuclease, versus 50% in adapted cells. Thus, defective maturation of T4 heads appears to explain the failure of phage production in unadapted cells. Overproduction of the heat shock protein GroEL from plasmids restored T4 production in unadapted cells to about 50% of that seen in adapted cells. T4-infected, adapted E. coli B at around 44/sup 0/C exhibited a partial tryptophan deficiency. Production of bacteriophage T7 at 44/sup 0/C was increased two- to fourfold by adapting the host to 44/sup 0/C before infection; evidence against involvement of the htpR (rpoH) gene is presented. This work and recent work with bacteriophage delta appear to represent the first demonstrations for any virus that expression of the heat shock regulon of a host is necessary for virus production at high temperature.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY
- OSTI ID:
- 5446294
- Journal Information:
- J. Virol.; (United States), Vol. 62:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIOPHAGES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
PROTEINS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BIOSYNTHESIS
AMINO ACIDS
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
ELECTROPHORESIS
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GENE OPERONS
THYMIDINE
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TRYPTOPHAN
URACILS
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
AZINES
AZOLES
BACTERIA
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDOLES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PYRIMIDINES
PYRROLES
RIBOSIDES
SYNTHESIS
VIRUSES
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques
560200 - Thermal Effects