Abstract
The biosynthesis of a phage tail-like Bacteriocin by cells of the group A-bacteriocinogenic (bA+ Serratia marcescens strain no. 16 after induction with mitomycin C (MC) was examined electronmicroscopically. This bacteriocin (total length 117 nm) consists of a hollow core and a contractile sheath. At 60 min following induction, rod-like bacteriocin-partieles were identifiable in ultrathin sections. The particles were found to comprise three morphologically different forms of aggregation: 1. hexagonal inclusions, 2. contiguous, bank-like particles, and 3. staples of superimposed layers of bacteriocin particles. At 120 min after induction bA+ cells revealed maximally 450 bacteriocin particles.
Similarly, the phage tail particles could be demonstrated with the “in situ lysis technique” at 60 min following induction. Occasionally, phage heads were demonstrable, but in no instance were complete phage particles discernible.
Dividing cells of the bA+ strain of S. marcescens maintained their rod-form following induction with MC until intracellular phage tail bacteriocin particles were seen. However, at 120 min after induction, the swollen, sphaeroplast-like cells lysed, an event that could be correlated with fine structural alterations of the cell wall.
Zusammenfassung
Die Genese eines phagenschwanzähnlichen Bacteriocins in Zellen des Gruppe A-bacteriocinogenen (bA+) Serratia marcescens-Stammer Nr. 16 wurde nach Mitomycin C (MC) Induktion elektronenoptisch untersucht. Dieses Bacteriocin (Gesamtlänge 117 nm) besteht aus einem hohlen Stift mit kontraktiler Scheide. Nach 60 min Induktion wurden in Dünnschnitten stäbchenförmige Bacteriocine identifiziert. Sie erscheinen in drei Aggregationsformen: 1. als hexagonale Einschlüsse, 2. als Bänder dicht nebeneinanderliegender Bacteriocine und 3. als Stapel von übereinanderliegenden Bacteriocinschichten, wenn nach 120 min Induktion ein Maximum von ca. 450 Bacteriocinen pro Zelle erreicht wird.
Bacteriocine konnten nach der gleichen Induktionszeit von 60 min auch mit der “in situ lysis technique” nachgewiesen werden. Neben Bacteriocinen traten relativ selten und unregelmäßig auch Phagenköpfe auf.
Die Stäbchenform teilungsfähiger Zellen blieb bis zum Auftreten von intracellulären Bacteriocinen erhalten. Ihre Umwandlung in geblähte, sphäroplastenähnliche Zellformen, die nach 120 min Induktion lysierten, war zeitlich korreliert mit Feinstrukturveränderungen der Zellwand.
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Abbreviations
- B:
-
Bacteriocine in Bandform
- C:
-
“core”
- CM:
-
Cytoplasmamembran
- F:
-
Schwanzfasern
- H:
-
hexagonale Aggregationsform
- M:
-
Mesosom
- MC:
-
Mitomycin C
- OM:
-
“outer membrane”
- ZW:
-
Zellwand
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Acker, G. Intracelluläre Organisation phagenschwanz-ähnlicher Bacteriocine der Gruppe A in Serratia marcescens . Arch. Microbiol. 111, 175–183 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00446566
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00446566