Influence of growth condition on the concentration of potassium in Bacillus subtilis var. niger and its possible relationship to cellular ribonucleic acid, teichoic acid and teichuronic acid

Abstract

1. Mg(2+)-limited Bacillus subtilis var. niger, growing in a chemostat in a simple salts medium, contained considerably more potassium and phosphorus than Mg(2+)-limited Aerobacter aerogenes growing in a similar medium at corresponding dilution rates. 2. Growth of the bacillus in a K(+)-limited environment did not lower the cellular potassium and phosphorus contents, the molar proportions of cell-bound magnesium, potassium, RNA (as nucleotide) and phosphorus being approximately constant at 1:13:5:13 (compared with 1:4:5:8 in Mg(2+)-limited or K(+)-limited A. aerogenes). 3. Growth of B. subtilis in a phosphate-limited environment caused the cellular phosphorus content to be lowered to a value similar to that of Mg(2+)-limited A. aerogenes, but the potassium content was not correspondingly lowered; the molar potassium:magnesium ratio varied from 14 to 17 with changes in dilution rate from 0.4 to 0.1hr.(-1). 4. Whereas over 70% of the cell-bound phosphorus of Mg(2+)-limited or K(+)-limited A. aerogenes was contained in the nucleic acids, these polymers accounted for less than 50% of the phosphorus present in similarly limited B. subtilis; much phosphorus was present in the walls of the bacilli, bound in a teichoic acid-type compound composed of glycerol phosphate and glucose (but no alanine). 5. Phosphate-limited B. subtilis cell walls (from organisms grown at a dilution rate of 0.2hr.(-1)) contained little phosphorus and no detectable amounts of teichoic acid, but 40% of the cell-wall dry weight could be accounted for by a teichuronic acid-type compound; this contained a glucuronic acid and galactosamine, neither of which could be detected in the walls of Mg(2+)-limited B. subtilis grown at a corresponding rate. 6. It is suggested that the high concentration of potassium in growing B. subtilis (compared with A. aerogenes) results from the presence of large amounts of anionic polymer (teichoic acid or teichuronic acid) in the bacillus cell walls.

Crippling the Essential GTPase Der Causes Dependence on Ribosomal Protein L9

“…We discovered that YihI had no stimulatory activity when potassium was present at high levels. Interestingly, the potassium level in E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae (in which YihI is present) is reported to fluctuate between ϳ100 and ϳ250 mM, whereas those of B. subtilis (in which YihI is absent) are maintained at ϳ400 mM (39,(48)(49)(50). Perhaps YihI helps load Der with potassium or helps Der function when intracellular potassium levels are low.…”

Teichoic Acid Hydrolase Activity in Soil Bacteria

“…The high activity in sporulating cells strongly suggests a function in teichoic acid removal to produce the changes seen in teichoic acid concentrations in some spores (30). It will be interesting to measure the production of the B. subtilis enzyme under conditions when teichuronic acids are produced instead of teichoic acid (31), and in various classes of asporogenic sti ains.…”

Influence of growth rate on susceptibility to antimicrobial agents: modification of the cell envelope and batch and continuous culture studies

“…True td can be measured by using nonreplicating genetic markers or temperature-sensitive mutants (not multiplying in vivo) (5, 13, 80, 84a Growth limitation by different nutrients therefore gives rise to cells with reduced growth rates and coincidentally radically altered envelopes (6,10,28,46,59). This result has been widely reported to influence greatly susceptibility to antimicrobial agents (6,39) and to antibiotics (12,24,90) for a wide range of organisms (8,21,22,36,46,63,65,87 (42,96).…”