Enhancement of Chlamydia trachomatis infectious progeny by cultivation of HeLa 229 cells treated with DEAE-dextran and cycloheximide.

The effects of DEAE-dextran and cycloheximide on the infection of HeLa 229 cells with Chlamydia trachomatis serotype G were studied in terms of the number of cells infected and the yield of infectious progeny per infected cell. Pretreatment of the host cells with DEAE-dextran resulted in an increase in the number of infected cels but had no significant effect on the yield of infectious progeny per infected cell (burst size). In contrast, the addition of cycloheximide to the medium of infected cells had no significant effect on the number of infected cells but greatly enhanced the burst size. The burst size was calculated to be close to 500. The enhanced burst size was also observed in cells treated with DEAE-dextran and cycloheximide. In addition, there was an increase in the number of cells infected and an augmentation of the infectious progeny yield. Under the conditions of combined treatment, the yield of C. trachomatis serotype G cultivated in HeLa 229 cells was found to be approximately threefold higher than the yield of the organisms cultivated in McCoy cells. The results suggest that HeLa 229 cells treated with DEAE-dextran and cycloheximide offer a most suitable system for the high-yield cultivation of C. trachomatis organisms and possibly also for the diagnosis of infection with these organisms.

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate-linked transhydrogenase in cytoplasmic membranes of colicin-treated and untreated Escherichia coli.

The adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-linked transhydrogenase reaction, present in the particulate fractions of Escherichia coli, was previously shown to be inhibited in these fractions when the bacteria were treated with colicins K or El. The purpose of this study was to characterized the ATP-linked transhydrogenase reaction and the colicin-caused inhibition of the reaction in purified cytoplasmic membranes. Particulate fractions from bacteria treated or untreated with colicins were separated on sucrose gradients into cell wall membrane and cytoplasmic membrane fractions. The ATP-linked transhydrogenase reaction was found to be exclusively associated with the cytoplasmic membrane fractions. The reaction was inhibited by carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenlhdrazone, dinitrophenol, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and trypsin. Although the cytoplasmic membrane fractions were purified from the majoriy of the cell wall membrane and its bound colicins, they showed the inhibitory effects of colicins K and El on the ATP-linked transhydrogenase reaction. The inhibition of ATP-linked transhydrogenase reaction induced by the colicin could not be reversed by subjection the isolated membranes to a variety of physical and chemical treatments. Cytoplasmic membranes depleted of energy-transducing adenosine triphosphatase ATPase) complex (coupling factor) lost the ATP-linked transhydrogenase activity. The ATPase complexes isolated from membranes of bacteria treated or untreated with colicins El or K reconstituted high levels of ATP-linded transhydrogenase activity to depleted membranes of untreated bacteria. The same ATPase complexes reconstituted low levels of activity to depleted membranes of the treated bacteria.

Effect of colicin K on a membrane-associated, energy-linked function.

The purpose of this work was in investigate the capability of cell extracts of Escherichia coli and E. coli treated with colicin K to catalyze the following energy-dependent reverse transhydrogenase reaction: NADP + NADH + ATP in equilibrium NADPH + NAD +ADP + Pi. Under anaerobic conditions this reaction requires the presence of a specific portion of the electron transport chain, a functional energy coupling system, including an adenosine triphosphatase, enzyme, and ATP as energy source. The ATP-linked reaction was partially inhibited in French press extracts of E. coli K-12 C600 cells that had been pretreated with colicin K but not in extracts from similarly treated cells of a colicin-tolerant mutant. Ultracentrifugation of extracts yielded particulate fractions competent in catalyzing the reaction; this reaction is substantially inhibited in fractions from colicin-treated cells. The extent of inhibition increased with increasing concentration of colicin. Supernatants also supported ATP-linked formation of NADPH, but this reaction was insensitive to the colicin effect. A comparison between the requirement of the reaction in supernatant and particulate fractions suggests that the reaction in the supernatant is different from the one inhibited by colicin. The ATP-hydrolyzing ability of particulate fractions from the control or treated bacteria was identical. Likewise, the electron transport chain was not affected by colicin treatment, as evidenced from lack of effect on NADH oxidase, succinic dehydrogenase, and NADPH-NAD transhydrogenase. It is concluded that colicin K interferes with the coupling of ATP the utilization of the intermediate for the ATP-linked transdehydrogenase reaction.

Localization and solubilization of colicin receptors.

Envelope fractions isolated from Escherichia coli K-12 C600 and from colicin-resistant and colicin-tolerant (Tol II) mutants derived from this strain were separated on sucrose gradients into cell wall-enriched and cytoplasmic membrane-enriched fractions. These fractions were tested for their ability to neutralize colicins of the E and K groups. Neutralization activity was found in the cell wall-enriched fraction from the parent and the Tol II mutant but was absent from all fractions from the resistant mutant. This was also tested with several other E. coli strains. In all cases, sensitive strains contained the neutralization activity, whereas resistant strains did not. The neutralization activity was solubilized from cell walls or cell envelopes of sensitive or Tol II strains by extraction at room temperature with Triton X-100 plus ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The solubilized activity was precipitated by 20% ammonium sulfate, 70% ethanol, or 10% trichloroacetic acid. The activity was destroyed by treatment of the solubilized preparation with trypsin or periodate. These results suggest that this colicin-neutralization activity is due to the presence of specific receptors localized in the cell wall and that intact protein and a carbohydrate are required for this receptor to bind colicin.