Metal fixation by bacterial cell walls

1985 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1893-1898 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Beveridge ◽  
W. S. Fyfe

All biomass contains a significant quantity of metallic constituents, and mineralization in living and dead biodebris may contribute to element transport from the hydrosphere into sediments. The anionic cell walls of bacteria are remarkable in their ability to fix metals and provide sites for nucleation and growth of minerals. Results presented show the types of cell wall polymers that are responsible for metal binding in walls of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Author(s):  
Stevan R. Emmett ◽  
Nicola Hill ◽  
Federico Dajas-Bailador

Antibiotics include an extensive range of agents able to kill or prevent reproduction of bacteria in the body, without being overly toxic to the patient. Traditionally derived from living organisms, most are now chemically synthesized and act to disrupt the integrity of the bacterial cell wall, or penetrate the cell and disrupt protein synthesis or nucleic acid replication. Typically, bacteria are identified according to their ap­pearance under the microscope depending on shape and response to the Gram stain test. Further identification is obtained by growth characteristics on various types of culture media, based on broth or agar, biochemical and immunological profiles. Further testing on broth or agar determines antibiotic sensitivity to guide on anti­biotic therapy in individual patients. This process can take 24– 48 hours to culture and a further 24– 48 hours to measure sensitivities. Increasingly, new technology, e.g. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization— Time of Flight (MALDI- TOF) and nucleic acid amplification as­says, are being used to provide more rapid identification. The Gram classification, however, is still widely referred to as it differentiates bacteria by the presence or absence of the outer lipid membrane (see Figure 11.1), a fundamental characteristic that influences antibiotic management. Antimicrobial agents rely on selective action exploiting genetic differences between bacterial and eukaryotic cells. They target bacterial cell wall synthesis, bacterial protein synthesis, microbial DNA or RNA synthesis, by acting on bacterial cell metabolic pathways or by inhibiting the ac­tion of a bacterial toxin (see Table 11.1). Both Gram- positive and Gram- negative bacteria possess a rigid cell wall able to protect the bacteria from varying osmotic pressures (Figure 11.1). Peptidoglycan gives the cell wall its rigidity and is composed of a glycan chain of complex alternating carbohydrates, N- acetylglucosamide (N- ATG), and N- acetylmurcarinic acid (N- ATM), that are cross- linked by peptide (or glycine) chains. In Gram-positive bacteria, the cell wall contains multiple peptido­glycan layers, interspersed with teichoic acids, whereas Gram- negative bacteria contain only one or two peptido­glycan layers that are surrounded by an outer membrane attached by lipoproteins. The outer membrane contains porins (which regulate transport of substances into and out of the cell), lipopolysaccharides, and outer proteins in a phospholipid bilayer. For both Gram- negative and Gram-positive bacteria, peptidoglycan synthesis involves about 30 bacterial enzymes acting over three stages. Since the cell wall is unique to bacteria, it makes a suitable target for antibiotic therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Tominari ◽  
Ayumi Sanada ◽  
Ryota Ichimaru ◽  
Chiho Matsumoto ◽  
Michiko Hirata ◽  
...  

AbstractPeriodontitis is an inflammatory disease associated with severe alveolar bone loss and is dominantly induced by lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria; however, the role of Gram-positive bacteria in periodontal bone resorption remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a major cell-wall factor of Gram-positive bacteria, on the progression of inflammatory alveolar bone loss in a model of periodontitis. In coculture of mouse primary osteoblasts and bone marrow cells, LTA induced osteoclast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. LTA enhanced the production of PGE2 accompanying the upregulation of the mRNA expression of mPGES-1, COX-2 and RANKL in osteoblasts. The addition of indomethacin effectively blocked the LTA-induced osteoclast differentiation by suppressing the production of PGE2. Using ex vivo organ cultures of mouse alveolar bone, we found that LTA induced alveolar bone resorption and that this was suppressed by indomethacin. In an experimental model of periodontitis, LTA was locally injected into the mouse lower gingiva, and we clearly detected alveolar bone destruction using 3D-μCT. We herein demonstrate a new concept indicating that Gram-positive bacteria in addition to Gram-negative bacteria are associated with the progression of periodontal bone loss.


1966 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Jane Carson ◽  
R. G. Eagon

Electron micrographs of thin sections of normal cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the cell walls to be convoluted and to be composed of two distinct layers. Electron micrographs of thin sections of lysozyme-treated cells of P. aeruginosa showed (a) that the cell walls lost much of their convoluted nature; (b) that the layers of the cell walls became diffuse and less distinct; and (c) that the cell walls became separated from the protoplasts over extensive cellular areas. These results suggest that the peptidoglycan component of the unaltered cell walls of P. aeruginosa is sensitive to lysozyme. Furthermore, it appears that the peptidoglycan component is not solely responsible for the rigidity of the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten G. K. Ghequire ◽  
Susan K. Buchanan ◽  
René De Mot

ABSTRACT Bacteria host an arsenal of antagonism-mediating molecules to combat for ecologic space. Bacteriocins represent a pivotal group of secreted antibacterial peptides and proteins assisting in this fight, mainly eliminating relatives. Colicin M, a model for peptidoglycan-interfering bacteriocins in Gram-negative bacteria, appears to be part of a set of polymorphic toxins equipped with such a catalytic domain (ColM) targeting lipid II. Diversifying recombination has enabled parasitism of different receptors and has also given rise to hybrid bacteriocins in which ColM is associated with another toxin module. Remarkably, ColM toxins have recruited a diverse array of immunity partners, comprising cytoplasmic membrane-associated proteins with different topologies. Together, these findings suggest that different immunity mechanisms have evolved for ColM, in contrast to bacteriocins with nuclease activities.


1973 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1056-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Forge ◽  
J. W. Costerton

Extraction of whole cells of the marine pseudomonad (B-16) with chloroform–methanol causes the disappearance of the cleavage planes, and the cross-sectioned profile of both the cytoplasmic membrane and the double-track layer of the cell wall.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
lydiariver not provided

Gram staining is one of the first techniques used for the identification of group B Streptococcus agalactiae and one would expect to see gram-positive cocci under the microscope. The technique consists of applying a series of colorants and bleaches (acetone), which interact with the lipids of the membranes of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The cell walls of gram-positive organisms retain the dye after acetone treatment and appear purple in color, whereas gram-negative organisms become discolored after acetone treatment and appear pink.


1952 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell E. MacDonald ◽  
Charles J. Bishop

A crystalline antibacterial substance isolated from apple leaves has been identified as phloretin. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The activity of the compound is bacteriostatic in nature and is shown in concentrations as low as 30 p.p.m. Its antibacterial action may be related to inhibition of the uptake of phosphorus by the bacterial cell.


Author(s):  
A Morin ◽  
N Poirier ◽  
S Vallee ◽  
A Porter

AbstractBacillusis a predominant genus of bacteria isolated from tobacco. The Gram stain is the most commonly used and most important of all diagnostic staining techniques in microbiology. In order to help confirm the Gram positivity ofBacillusisolates from tobacco, three methods using the chemical differences of the cell wall and membrane of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were investigated: the KOH (potassium hydroxide), the LANA (L-alanine-4-nitroanilide), and the vancomycin susceptibility tests. When colonies of Gram-negative bacteria are treated with 3% KOH solution, a slimy suspension is produced, probably due to destruction of the cell wall and liberation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Gram-positive cell walls resist KOH treatment. The LANA test reveals the presence of a cell wall aminopeptidase that hydrolyzes the L-alanine-4-nitroanilide in Gram-negative bacteria. This enzyme is absent in Gram-positive bacteria. Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic inhibiting the cell wall peptido-glycan synthesis of Gram-positive microorganisms. Absence of lysis with KOH, absence of hydrolysis of LANA, and susceptibility to vancomycin were used with the Gram reaction to confirm the Gram positivity of variousBacillusspecies isolated from tobacco.B. laevolacticusexcepted, all Bacillus species tested showed negative reactions to KOH and LANA tests, and all species were susceptible to vancomycin (5 and 30 µg).


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