The effect of starvation stress on the porin protein expression of Escherichia coli in lake water.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to identify changes in outer membrane proteins (omps), OmpA, OmpC and OmpF, in Escherichia coli under starvation conditions in lake water microcosms studied at different temperatures.


RESULTS
Escherichia coli was incubated in lake water microcosms at a variety of temperatures and the omps studied using quantitative densitometric analysis of protein bands of sodium dodecyl sulphate gels of omp preparations. The amount of OmpF increased over the incubation period relative to that of OmpC whereas the relative abundance of OmpA declined, most notably at 25 and 37 degrees C. This change was linked to changes in peak cell volume as determined by cell measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
Major changes to the omps of E. coli accompany the adaptation of the organism to starvation conditions in lake water microcosms.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged starvation affects the relative amounts of outer membrane porins. This study furthers the understanding of the role played by changes in the omp composition in E. coli during survival in lake water environments.
Ozkanca
R
R
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Flint
K P
KP
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D018272:Porins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C113724:OmpC protein; C109237:OmpF protein; D018272:Porins; C078167:OMPA outer membrane proteins