Abstract
The characteristic shape of bacterial cells is maintained by the strength and form of the murein layer of the cell wall1. Thus, rod-shaped bacteria need to synthesize a rod-shaped murein. The shape of the murein may be determined by the properties of the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) that catalyse the insertion of murein precursors into the cell wall2. In Escherichia coli inhibition of PBPs produces characteristic effects on bacterial morphology. For example, inactivation of PBP 2 results in an inability to synthesize cylindrical murein during cell elongation and the growth of E. coli as spherical cells2. We report here that osmotically stable spherical cells of E. coli can also be produced by an increase in the level of PBP 5, a D-alanine carboxypeptidase3, and show that these cells, and those produced by inactivation of PBP 2, have the same abnormality in the structure of the newly inserted murein.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rogers, H. J. Adv. microb. Physiol. 19, 1–62 (1979).
Spratt, B. G. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B289, 273–283 (1980).
Amanuma, H. & Strominger, J. L. J. biol. Chem. 255, 11173–11180 (1980).
Spratt, B. G., Boyd, A. & Stoker, N. G. J. Bact. 143, 569–581 (1980).
Cohen, S. N., Chang, A. C. Y., Boyer, H. W. & Helling, R. B. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 3240–3244 (1973).
Spratt, B. G. J. Bact. 144, 1190–1192 (1980).
Stoker, N. G., Fairweather, N. F. & Spratt, B. G. Gene (in the press).
De Pedro, M. A., Schwarz, U., Nishimura, Y. & Hirota, Y. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 9, 219–221 (1980).
De Pedro, M. A. & Schwarz, U. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 5856–5860 (1981).
Matsuhashi, M. et al. in Beta-Lactam Antibiotics (ed. Mitsuhashi, S.) 203–223 (Springer, Berlin, 1981).
Suzuki, H. et al. FEBS Lett. 110, 245–249 (1980).
Spratt, B. G. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 3, Suppl. B, 13–14 (1977).
Ishino, F. & Matsuhashi, M. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 101, 905–911 (1981).
Hammes, W. P. Eur. J. Biochem. 70, 97–106 (1976).
Mirelman, D., Yashouv-Gan, Y., Nuchamovitz, Y., Rozenhak, S. & Ron, E. Z. J. Bact. 134, 458–461 (1978).
Mirelman, D., Yashouv-Gan, Y. & Schwarz, U. J. Bact. 129, 1593–1600 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Markiewicz, Z., Broome-Smith, J., Schwarz, U. et al. Spherical E. coli due to elevated levels of D-alanine carboxypeptidase. Nature 297, 702–704 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297702a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297702a0
This article is cited by
-
TheEscherichia coli cell cycle, cell division and ppGpp: Regulation and mechanisms
Folia Microbiologica (1997)
-
From growth to autolysis: the murein hydrolases inEscherichia coli
Archives of Microbiology (1995)
-
Excess histidine enzymes cause AICAR-independent filamentation in Escherichia coli
Molecular and General Genetics MGG (1993)
-
Alteration in the penicillin-binding profile of Bacillus megaterium during sporulation
Nature (1982)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.