title: Genetic analysis of mecillinam-resistant mutants of Caulobacter crescentus deficient in stalk biosynthesis.
abstract: Stalk synthesis in Caulobacter crescentus is a developmentally controlled and spatially restricted event that requires the synthesis of peptidoglycan at the stalk-cell body junction. We show that the beta-lactam antibiotic mecillinam prevents stalk synthesis by inhibiting stalk elongation. In addition, mecillinam causes an increase in the diameter of the stalk at the stalk-cell body junction. We describe two mutations that confer resistance to mecillinam and that prevent stalk elongation. These mutations are probably allelic, and they map to a locus previously not associated with stalk synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: Y V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Brun
mesh_terms: D000560:Amdinocillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016935:Caulobacter crescentus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D009154:Mutation; D010403:Penicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D000560:Amdinocillin