Dependence of Autolysis of Bacillus subtilis Cells on Macromolecule Synthesis under Nutrient Limitation

概要

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Autolysis of Bacillus subtilis 168 cells in buffer solution was induced by high concentrations of monovalent cations, which activate N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase, a major autolysin in this bacterium. However, cells did not lyse in Spizizen salt medium containing high K^+ ion concentration. Therefore, autolysis of washed cells of B. subtilis in the log phase was studied in various nutrient solutions in the presence of 100 mM K^+. Glucose inhibited autolysis in 100 mM KCl solution, but ammonium ions together with glucose were required to inhibit lysis in potassium phosphate buffer (KPB) solution. Penicillin G or vancomycin caused cell lysis in KPB+glucose+ammonium ion (KPB non-lytic solution), but not in KCl+glucose (KCl non-lytic solution). A tracer experiment showed that synthesis of both protein and peptidoglycan was active in KPB non -lytic solution but not in KCl non-lytic solution. Chloramphenicol-treated cells did not lyse in KPB non-lytic solution upon addition of penicillin G. Autolysis observed during active protein synthesis without peptidoglycan synthesis in KPB+glucose solution was suppressed by chloramphenical. From these results, we concluded that autolysis occurred when protein synthesis was active but peptidoglycan synthesis was incomplete.
公益社団法人日本生物工学会の論文
1989-10-25