[Possible control of capsule formation and intracellular synthesis of envelope antigen by each different plasmid].
Variants which lacked capsular envelopes on their cell surface were isolated from the culture of a highly virulent Yreka strain of Yersinia pestis grown in the presence of acridine orange, ethidium bromide or sodium dodecyl sulfate at incompletely growth-inhibitory concentrations. The variant could be divided into two types on the basis of the presence and the absence of intracellular envelope antigen. Both types of the variants lacked the 13 megadaltone (Md) plasmid. Thus, it may well be said that the 13 Md plasmid would play some decisive role in extracellular envelope formation and no concern with the synthesis of intracellular antigen. It was clarified that these characters were carried by each different gene. The intracellular envelope antigen synthesis could not be correlated with other plasmids isolated from Yreka strain, i.e., 7, 23, 44 and 59 Md plasmids. On the other hand, further treatment of the intracellular-positive variant with the above inhibitors resulted in the occurrence of the antigen-deficient type variant at a rate of 1-2%. The high frequency appearance of the variant by the plasmid-depleting agents might indicate possible presence of some yet unknown plasmid responsive to the intracellular synthesis of envelope antigen.
Tsukano
H
H
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010957:Plasmids; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000502:physiology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial