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Functions related to the receptor protein specified by the tsx gene of Escherichia coli

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Abstract

The receptor protein for the phage T6 and colicin K, coded by the tsx gene, facilitated the diffusion of all nucleosides and deoxynucleosides except cytidine and deoxcytidine through the outer membrane of Escherichia coli K-12 and Escherichia coli B. The tsx protein was coregulated with the nucleoside uptake system. Constitutive cytR and deoR mutants contained higher amounts of this protein than wild type strains. There was a good correlation between the initial rate of nucleoside uptake and the adsorption rate of phage T6. From the observation that nucleosides did not compete with each other in the translocation across the outer membrane and that they did not inhibit T6 adsorption it was concluded that the tsx protein forms a pore to which nucleosides have only little if any binding affinity.

A major outer membrane protein specified by the ompA gene influenced the function of the tsx protein. Outer membranes of ompA mutants showed an enhanced binding of colicin K but the strains were colicin K insensitive (tolerant). The T6 phage adsorbed at the same rate and plated with the same efficiency as to ompA + strains. The uptake rate of thymidine and of adenosine was reduced by 16–33% in ompA mutants.

The adsorption rate of phage T6 on mutants with altered lipopolysaccharide was the same or even higher than on wild type strains. However the plating efficiency was reduced ranging from 0–46%. Lipopolysaccharide plays no role in the primary adsorption of phage T6 but it is apparently required in a later step of the infection process.

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Abbreviations

LPS:

lipopolysaccharide

cAMP-CRP:

complex of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) and its receptor protein (CRP)

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  1. Lehrstuhl Mikrobiologie II der Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, D-7400, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany

    Heidemarie J. Krieger-Brauer & Volkmar Braun

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  1. Heidemarie J. Krieger-Brauer
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  2. Volkmar Braun
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Krieger-Brauer, H.J., Braun, V. Functions related to the receptor protein specified by the tsx gene of Escherichia coli . Arch. Microbiol. 124, 233–242 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427732

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