Abnormal cell division caused by inclusion bodies in E. coli; increased resistance against external stress.
Inclusion body formation occurs naturally in prokaryotic cells, but is particularly common when heterologous foreign proteins are overexpressed in bacterial systems. The plant disease virus protein CMV 3a (cucumber mosaic virus movement protein) and the 56 kDa Orientia tsutsugamushi (OT56) protein (an outer membrane protein), which causes tsutsugamushi disease, were expressed in Escherichia coli, and found to form inclusion bodies. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that these inclusion bodies are localized at the cellular poles within E. coli. Cells expressing inclusion bodies appeared to be interconnected, and divided abnormally. The clustered cells exhibited biofilm-like characteristics in that the interior cells of the community were protected by the antibiotic resistance of the outer cells. We compared the number of colony-forming units in inclusion body-forming versus non-forming E. coli to demonstrate the effects of lysozyme, sonication or antibiotic treatment. E. coli clustering provided significantly improved protection against cell disruption/lysis by physical and biochemical stress. This is the first report that shows that abnormal cell division caused by inclusion body formation can cause cellular clustering, resulting in improved resistance to stress in vitro.
Lee
Kwang Kook
KK
College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Sungbuk-Ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jang
Cheol Seong
CS
Yoon
Ju Yeon
JY
Kim
Se Yoon
SY
Kim
Tae Ho
TH
Ryu
Ki Hyun
KH
Kim
Wook
W
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D017799:Cucumovirus / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D002479:Inclusion Bodies; D050296:Microbial Viability; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009113:Muramidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013010:Sonication; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D009113:Muramidase