Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T07:44:39.987Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Unusual characteristics of the receptor for the N sex factor-specific filamentous phage IKe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

Sheena Dennison
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
S. Baumberg
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Plasmid-mediated sensitivity to filamentous phage IKe is shown to be a property exclusive to plasmids of the N incompatibility group. As with other sex factor-specific phages, IKe sensitivity results from the provision of a plasmid-encoded receptor. However, direct evidence for IKe adsorption to a sex pilus-like structure is so far lacking.

Mutations in an N plasmid were obtained which affected IKe infect-ability and N transfer frequency simultaneously, though to different extents. IKe receptors could be removed to a limited extent by high speed blending, but only under more extreme conditions (higher speed and in low ionic strength medium) than F pili. As with F-specific filamentous phages, IKe adsorption was partially blocked by Zn2+.

We tentatively suggest that the results accord with the IKe receptor being a sex pilus rather different from F and I pili (possibly in being much shorter in liquid culture), but other interpretations of these data are possible.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

References

REFERENCES

Adachi, H., Nakano, M., Inuzuka, M. & Tomoeda, M. (1972). Specific role of sex pili in the effective eliminatory action of sodium dodecyl sulfate on sex and drug resistance factors in Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology 109, 11141124.Google Scholar
Bradley, D. E. (1974). Adsorption of bacteriophages specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa R factors RP1 and R1822. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 57, 893900.Google Scholar
Brodt, P., Leggett, F. & Iyer, R. (1974). Absence of a pilus receptor for filamentous phage IKe. Nature 249, 856858.Google Scholar
Clowes, R. C. & Hayes, W. (1968). Experiments in Microbial Genetics. Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Datta, N. & Hedges, R. W. (1971). Compatibility groups among fi R factors. Nature 234, 222223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Datta, N., Hedges, R. W., Shaw, E. J., Sykes, R. B. & Richmond, M. H. (1971). Properties of an R factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Bacteriology 108, 12441249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dennison, S. (1973). Control of fertility of resistance factors in Proteus mirabilis and related bacterial species. Ph.D. thesis, University of Leeds.Google Scholar
Harden, V. & Meynell, E. (1972). Inhibition of gene transfer by antiserum and identification of serotypes of sex pili. Journal of Bacteriology 109, 10671074.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hedges, R. W. & Datta, N. (1972). R124, an fi+ R factor of a new compatibility class. Journal of General Microbiology 71, 403405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hedges, R. W. & Datta, N. (1973). Plasmids determining I pili constitute a compatibility complex. Journal of General Microbiology 77, 1925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobsen, A. (1972). Role of F pili in the penetration of bacteriophage f1. Journal of Virology 10, 835843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khatoon, H., Iyer, R. V. & Iyer, V. N. (1972). A new filamentous bacteriophage with sex factor specificity. Virology 48, 145155.Google Scholar
Lennox, E. S. (1955). Transduction of linked genetic characters of the host by bacteriophage P1. Virology 1, 190206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Novotny, C., Carnahan, J. & Brinton, C. C. (1969 b). Mechanical removal of F pili, type I pili and flagella from Hfr and RTF donor cells and the kinetics of their reappearance. Journal of Bacteriology 98, 12941306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Novotny, C. P. & Fives-Taylor, P. (1974). Retraction of F pili. Journal of Bacteriology 117, 13061311.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Novotny, C. P. & Lavin, K. (1971). Some effects of temperature on the growth of F pili. Journal of Bacteriology 107, 671682.Google Scholar
Novotny, C., Raizen, E., Knight, W. S. & Brinton, C. C. (1969 a). Functions of F pili in mating pair formation and male bacteriophage infection studied by blending spectra and reappearance kinetics. Journal of Bacteriology 98, 13071319.Google Scholar
Olsen, R. H. & Shipley, P. (1973). Host range and properties of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa R factor R1822. Journal of Bacteriology 113, 772780.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ou, J. T. & Anderson, T. F. (1970). Role of pili in bacterial conjugation. Journal of Bacteriology 114, 11081115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ou, J. T. & Anderson, T. F. (1972). Effect of Zn2+ on the adsorption of male-specific filamentous deoxyribonucleic acid and isometric ribonucleic acid bacteriophages. Journal of Virology 10, 869871.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salisbury, V., Hedges, R. W. & Datta, N. (1972). Two modes of ‘curing’ transmissible bacterial plasmids. Journal of General Microbiology 70, 443452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tomoeda, M., Shuta, A. & Inuzuka, M. (1972). Studies on sex pili: mutants of the sex factor F in Escherichia coli defective in bacteriophage adsorping function of F pili. Journal of Bacteriology 112, 13581363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tzagaloff, H. & Pratt, D. (1964). The initial steps in infection with coliphage M13. Virology 24, 372380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar