title: Outer membrane permeability of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus mediates susceptibility to rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granule contents.
abstract: Growth of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus on specific alkanes altered the outer membrane permeability of the organism, as indicated by a change in sensitivity to the antibiotic actinomycin D. As the carbon length of the alkane energy source decreased, outer membrane permeability and susceptibility to actinomycin D increased. Concomitant with the increase in outer membrane permeability, A. calcoaceticus became more susceptible to the oxygen-independent antimicrobial activity of extracted contents from rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules. Individual fractions of granule extract possessed no antimicrobial activity against A. calcoaceticus. The alkane-induced change in outer membrane permeability was not associated with alterations of lipopolysaccharide O antigen. An outer membrane permeability mechanism, independent of changes in lipopolysaccharide content, mediating susceptibility to the oxygen-independent antimicrobial activity of rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granule contents is suggested.
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009113:Muramidase / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000502:physiology; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; C030509:neutrophil basic proteins; D009195:Peroxidase; D009113:Muramidase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases