title: Identification and characterization of some bacterial membrane sulfhydryl groups which are targets of bacteriostatic and antibiotic action.
abstract: Covalent modification of sulfhydryl groups which become sensitive toward sulfhydryl agents during germination of Bacillus cereus spores exerts a profound bacteriostatic effect, resulting in outgrowth inhibition. The modified spore components are membrane species of 13,000, 28,000, and 29,000 daltons. Detergent disruption of the membrane inactivated the sulfhydryl groups. A highly sigmoid inhibition curve (n = 11.8) with diamide suggested the participation of closely neighboring sulfhydryl groups. Substate and substrate analogs of the lactose and dicarboxylic acid permeases protected the sulfhydryl groups against modification. Nisin, a 34-residue peptide antibiotic, inhibited spore outgrowth and sulfhydryl modification at a concentration of about 0.1 microM. Since these sulfhydryl groups have been implicated as involved with the bacteriostatic action of nitrite, substances directed toward them may be a useful new class of bacteriostatic agents and antibiotics.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents