title: [Modification of the envelope and the protein content of Escherichia coli surviving in sea water].
abstract: A toxigenic strain of Escherichia coli displayed important structural modifications when placed in seawater which naturally lacked nutritive elements, as observed by electron microscopy. These include cell wall and cell body distortion, modification of the membranes, central segregation of the chromosome, and retraction of the cytoplasm. These modifications were accompanied by a decrease in cell protein content of approximately 40%. Certain cytoplasmic membrane proteins were lost, and new ones appeared. The development of these changes was considerably slower in cells that had previously been grown in a seawater medium. This suggests that osmotic regulation mechanisms, which enable E. coli to survive much longer in marine conditions, may have a protective influence.
authors.affiliation: Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Unité 303, Mer et santé, Nice, France.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Munro
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012623:Seawater; D013696:Temperature; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins
vernacular_title: Modification de la structure des enveloppes et du contenu en protéines d'Escherichia coli en survie dans l'eau de mer.