| Title: | Identification of pheromone-induced surface proteins in Streptococcus faecalis and evidence of a role for lipoteichoic acid in formation of mating aggregates |
| Author(s): | Ehrenfeld EE; Kessler RE; Clewell DB; |
| DOI: | 10.1128/jb.168.1.6-12.1986 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0021-9193 (Print) 1098-5530 (Electronic) 0021-9193 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The conjugative transfer of the Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pAD1 is characterized by a 10,000-fold increase in frequency following sex pheromone (cAD1) induction. Before the increase in plasmid transfer, donor cells synthesize a proteinaceous adhesin that facilitates the formation of mating aggregates. Four novel surface proteins appearing after exposure of pAD1-containing cells to sex pheromone have been identified. Thirty minutes after induction, a 130-kilodalton (kDa) protein was detectable by Western blotting. A 74-kDa protein, the major species present, and a pair of bands at 153 and 157 kDa were evident 45 min after induction. Induced cells containing another conjugative S. faecalis plasmid, pPD1, gave rise to three high-molecular-weight proteins of the same size (130, 153, and 157 kDa) as those synthesized by pAD1-containing cells. These proteins cross-reacted with antisera raised against induced cells containing pAD1. However, the major protein species produced by pPD1-containing cells had a molecular weight of 78,000 and did not cross-react significantly with the corresponding band of the pAD1 system. Pheromone-induced transfer of the two plasmids, when both were present in the same cell, was independent; induction was limited to the pheromone-specified plasmid. The possibility that lipoteichoic acid might act as a receptor (binding substance) for the induced adhesin protein was also explored. Free lipoteichoic acid (isolated from S. faecalis) inhibited clumping of induced cells, apparently by acting as a competitive inhibitor of the cellular binding substance" |
| Keywords: | "Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis *Conjugation, Genetic Enterococcus faecalis/genetics/*metabolism *Lipopolysaccharides Membrane Proteins/*biosynthesis Pheromones/*pharmacology Phosphatidic Acids/*metabolism/pharmacology Plasmids Teichoic Acids/*metabolism/;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineEhrenfeld, E E Kessler, R E Clewell, D B eng DE02731/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/ GM33956/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1986/10/01 J Bacteriol. 1986 Oct; 168(1):6-12. doi: 10.1128/jb.168.1.6-12.1986" |
