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Localization of aggregation substances of Enterococcus faecalis after induction by sex pheromones

An ultrastructural comparison using immuno labelling, transmission and high resolution scanning electron microscopic techniques

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Abstract

The distribution of sex pheromone induced aggregation substance was studied on the cell surface of various Enterococcus faecalis strains. In the accompanying paper we have shown that the aggregation substance appears as a layer of hairlike structures. Using direct and indirect immunogold technique, transmission electron microscopy and high resolution scanning electron microscopy we investigated the appearance and distribution of the aggregation substance. The “hairs” increase in number with increasing exposure to sex pheromones (maximum density: 1300/μm2). We show that these structures are unequally distributed over the cell surface, even if the cells were induced by sex pheromones for a long period of time. Statistical analysis of the unequal distribution indicates that aggregation substance is incorporated into pre-existing “old” cell-walls and that this incorporation shows a saturation ca. 40 min after addition of sex pheromones.

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Abbreviations

cAD1:

sex pheromone specific for plasmid pAD1

cPD1:

sex pheromone specific for plasmid pPD1

FESEM:

field emission scanning electron microscope

pAD1:

conjugative plasmid specifically transferred in the presence of cAD1

pPD1:

conjugative plasmid specifically transferred in the presence of cPD1

TEM:

transmission electron microscope

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botanisches Institut der Universität München, Menzinger Strasse 67, D-8000, München 19, Germany

    Gerhard Wanner & Helmut Formanek

  2. Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie der Universität München, Maria-Ward-Strasse 1A, D-8000, München 19, Germany

    Dominique Galli & Reinhard Wirth

Authors
  1. Gerhard Wanner
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  2. Helmut Formanek
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  3. Dominique Galli
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  4. Reinhard Wirth
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Wanner, G., Formanek, H., Galli, D. et al. Localization of aggregation substances of Enterococcus faecalis after induction by sex pheromones. Arch. Microbiol. 151, 491–497 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454864

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454864

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