title: Effects of penicillin-binding protein 4 overproduction in Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The pbp4 gene of a Staphylococcus aureus strain selected stepwise in vitro for growth on increasing concentrations of penicillin and of its susceptible parent strain showed overall identity except in the promoter region. In the mutant a deletion upstream of the pbp4 structural gene removed 90 nucleotides (nt) that were framed by a 12 nt inverted repeat. This deletion occurred in step 4 of the in vitro selection procedure and was paralleled by a significant increase in the penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP4) production. The in vitro step selected mutant showed a remarkable increase in the cross-linking of the peptidoglycan compared to its parent. This was linked to morphological changes in the appearance of the cells, which were surrounded by a very thick and fuzzy cell wall.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: U U
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Henze
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berger-Bächi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009154:Mutation; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010406:Penicillins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010406:Penicillins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase