The effect of oligolysines Lys-3, Lys-4, and Lys-5 on the outer membrane permeability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
A lysine polymer with five residues (Lys-5) was found to remarkably increase the outer membrane (OM) permeability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the tested hydrophobic probes (nitrocefin, N-phenyl naphthylamine, rifampin). Lys-3 and Lys-4 were inactive. The OM of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium was not permeabilized by Lys-5. Furthermore, even the action of Lys-5 on the Pseudomonas OM was abolished when the assays were performed in the presence of 150 mM NaCl instead of the low-ionic strength buffer earlier used by investigators studying the effect of polycations on the Pseudomonas OM.
Vaara
M
M
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
D015057:1-Naphthylamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011107:Polylysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012293:Rifampin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D015057:1-Naphthylamine; D002511:Cephalosporins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011107:Polylysine; D011108:Polymers; D012293:Rifampin; C005444:N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine; C021720:nitrocefin