Decrease in Respiration Activity Related to Prodigiosin Synthesis in Serratia marcescens

Abstract

Various attempts have been made to determine the mechanisms for regulating prodigiosin synthesis in Serratia marcescens. Genetic approaches show that the genes for prodigiosin synthesis are not coded on plasmids (4), but that the pigment cannot be synthesized by the transfer of drug-resistance plasmids (14). A recent attempt to clone the genes for the pigment synthesis was not completely successful (4). Physiological approaches show that prodigiosin synthesis occurs at the postexponential phase (19) and is influenced by some cultural conditions, such as incubation temperature (20), medium composition (3,7,16,22), pH (1), and oxygen supply (20). Williams and Qadri stated that under these cultural conditions, oxidative metabolism is apparently essential for the biosynthesis of the pigment (21), and, as we reported earlier, the diversity of prodigiosin content in the stationary phase organisms seems to be due to differences in aeration conditions (8). Therefore, the respiration activities, the most essential function of oxidative metabolism, of the pigmented and nonpigmented organisms were examined. This study shows that the respiration activity is decreased with the synthesis of prodigiosin. MATERIALS AND METHODS Strains and cultural conditions.A pigmented wild type strain of S. , marcescens,

Review of Prodigiosin, Pigmentation in Serratia marcescens

“…Furthermore, the cell membrane of prodigiosin-induced organisms was more sensitive to respiration inhibitors than that of pigmentnon induced organisms of the pigmented strain. These results showed that the respiration activity was decreased by prodigiosin synthesis in S. marcescens [52] .…”

A Protein Associated with Prodigiosin Formation in Serratia marcescens

“…A pigmented wild-type strain of S. marcescens H3OR and a nonpigmented mutant H30W6 isolated spontaneously from H3OR were maintained on soft nutrient agar for several years (9). The strains were cultivated with shaking at 30 C to the stationary phase in MOPS medium (14) …”

“…The formation of the pigment is influenced by medium composition, pH, incubation temperature, and oxygen supply (1,7,19). Oxidative metabolism seems to be essential for pigment synthesis (22), but it was reported that ATP inhibits pigment synthesis (11) and that pigmented bacteria are decreased in respiratory activity (9). The mechanism or regulation of the pigment formation is unclear.…”

Separation of the Prodigiosin‐Localizing Crude Vesicles Which Retain the Activity of Protease and Nuclease in Serratia marcescens

“…By adding 30 0 of 50 mm NADH solution, the oxygen concentration in the mixture was measured with a Clark-type polarographic electrode (5). The volume of oxygen consumed was determined as described previously (5).…”

“…NADH oxidase activity was determined as follows: An adequate amount of the sample of the fraction was sonicated, and was made up to total volume of 3 ml with saline. By adding 30 0 of 50 mm NADH solution, the oxygen concentration in the mixture was measured with a Clark-type polarographic electrode (5). The volume of oxygen consumed was determined as described previously (5).…”