Structure and function of E. coli ribosomes, IV. Isolation and characterization of functionally active ribosomal proteins

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Interaction of colicins with bacterial cells. 3. Colicin-tolerant mutations in Escherichia coli

Mutants that adsorb certain colicins without being killed, i.e., tolerant mutants (tol), were isolated from Escherichia coli K-12 strains. Selection was done either with colicin K or E2. Several groups of mutants showing different phenotypes were found, and some of them showed tolerance to both K and E colicins, which have different receptors. Many of these mutants mapped near gal. Typical mutants from group II, III, and IV were studied in more detail. The mutant loci were contransducible with gal by phage P1. The linkage order was deduced to be tol-gal-lambda. In partially diploid strains, these mutant loci are recessive to wild-type alleles. Temperature-dependent conditionally tolerant mutants were also isolated. Two groups were found: the first was tolerant to E2 and E3 at 40 C, but sensitive at 30 C; the second was tolerant to E2 at 30 C, but sensitive at 40 C. Experiments done with these mutants suggest that these mutations affect the heat lability of some protein that is necessary for the response of cells to colicins. Conditionally lethal tolerant mutants were isolated which at 40 C were tolerant to E2 and E3 and could not grow, but which at 30 C were fully sensitive and grew normally. The mutation mapped near malA. The tolerance at 40 C is not due to a consequence of an inactivation of general cellular metabolism, but presumably is a cause of the subsequent inhibition of cellular growth. The results suggest that some protein components involved in the response to colicin are also vital to normal cellular growth.

Interaction of colicins with bacterial cells. I. Studies with radioactive colicins

Maeda, Akio (Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison), and Masayasu Nomura. Interaction of colicins with bacterial cells. I. Studies with radioactive colicins. J. Bacteriol. 91:685-694. 1966.-By use of a preparation of radioactive colicin E2, the following conclusions, which had been obtained previously from indirect experiments, were tested directly: (i) colicin stays at the receptor site on the cell and acts from there; (ii) colicins E2 and E3 share the same receptor, although their mode of action is entirely different; (iii) colicinogenic cells adsorb homologous colicin, although they are resistant to that colicin. Our experimental results confirmed the above conclusions. When sensitive cells of Escherichia coli K-12 pretreated with radioactive E2 were disrupted with a French pressure cell, and fractionated by differential centrifugation, it was found that most of the radioactivity stayed with the cell envelope fraction. Trypsin removed a major part of radioactivity from cells pretreated with radioactive E2, as was expected from the previous experiments on trypsin reversal of colicin action. Furthermore, it was shown that the trypsin treatment causes a recovery of the capacity of E2-pretreated cells to adsorb further colicin E2. When cells were first treated with various amounts of nonradioactive E3, and then treated with radioactive E2, the amount of radioactive E2 adsorbed was found to be inversely related to the amount of nonradioactive E3 adsorbed first. It was also shown that E2-colicinogenic cells adsorb radioactive E2, and yet are resistant to this colicin.

Reconstitution of functionally active ribosomes from inactive subparticles and proteins

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