title: The effect of toluene on the structure and permeability of the outer and cytoplasmic membranes of Escherichia coli.
abstract: The effect of toluene on Escherichia coli has been examined. In the presence of Mg2+, toluene removes very little protein, phospholipid, or lipopolysacharide from E. coli. In the absence of Mg2+, or in the presence of EDTA, toluene removes considerably more cell material, including several specific cytoplasmic proteins such as malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37). In contrast, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) and glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.4) are not released at all under the same conditions. Cells treated with toluene in the presence of Mg2+ remain relatively impermeable to pyridne nucleotides, while cells treated with toluene in the presence of EDTA become permeable to these compounds. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy shows that toluene causes considerable damage to the cytoplasmic membrane, while the outer membrane remains relatively intact. These results indicate that the permeability characteristics of toluene-treated cells depend at least partly on the state of the outer membrane after the toluene treatment.
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008566:Membranes / Q000187:drug effects; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014050:Toluene / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D011506:Proteins; D014050:Toluene; D004492:Edetic Acid; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D008274:Magnesium