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Alterations induced by penicillin in the protein profile and cell structure of Group GStreptococcus

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Abstract

We investigated the effect of a subminimal concentration of penicillin on the ultrastructure and protein profile of Group G streptococci. In cells treated with penicillin (1/3 MIC), the protein content increased by 50%, and several protein bands with a molecular mass of 14–70 kDa were detected. In the hydrophilic phase, carbohydrate-containing proteins were detected by PAS staining, and in the hydrophobic phase, a group of proteins that reacted strongly with homologous antisera were observed. In terms of cell structure, Triton X-114 extraction was found to induce alterations in the cross wall of untreated cells. In bacteria treated with penicillin but not extracted with Triton X-114, the cell wall was observed to detach itself, and regions with reduced amounts of cellular material appeared in the cytoplasm. After Triton-X114 extraction, these penicillin-treated cells exhibited profound morphological changes, leading in some cases to lysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Angela Christina Dias de Castro & Veronica V. Vieira

  2. Department of General Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Angela Hampshire de Carvalho Santos, Luis Henrique Rocha Leite & Alane Beatriz Vermelho

  3. Department of Ultrastructure and Cell Biology, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Maria Nazareth Leal Meirelles

  4. Department of Cell Biology, EPM, São Paulo, Brazil

    Luis Rodolpho Travassos

Authors
  1. Angela Christina Dias de Castro
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  2. Maria Nazareth Leal Meirelles
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  3. Angela Hampshire de Carvalho Santos
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  4. Veronica V. Vieira
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  5. Luis Henrique Rocha Leite
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  6. Luis Rodolpho Travassos
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  7. Alane Beatriz Vermelho
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de Castro, A.C.D., Meirelles, M.N.L., Hampshire de Carvalho Santos, A. et al. Alterations induced by penicillin in the protein profile and cell structure of Group GStreptococcus . Current Microbiology 28, 269–273 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01573204

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