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C R Raetz

Publications and source records attributed to C R Raetz.

173 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Gene cloning for the isolation of enzymes of membrane lipid synthesis: phosphatidylserine synthase overproduction in Escherichia coli.

We have screened a bank of 2000 E. coli strains carrying hybrid ColE1 plasmids [Clarke, L. & Carbon, J. (1976) Cell 9, 91-99] for those that correct the temperature sensitivity of a mutant in CDP-1,2-diacyl sn-glycerol:L-serine O-phosphatidyltransferase (EC 2.7.8.8, phosphatidylserine synthase). Two hybrid plasmids of this kind (pLC34-44 and pLC34-46) were identified and characterized. Strains carrying these plasmids overproduce the synthase by 6- to 15-fold, as demonstrated by assays of extracts and purification to homogeneity of the overproduced enzyme. The overproduced synthase, like the wild-type enzyme, is found associated predominately with the ribosomal fraction of crude cell extracts. Because the membrane phospholipid composition of these overproducers is not greatly altered, we suggest that the synthase is normally present in excess.

CDPdiacylglycerol-Serine O-Phosphatidyltransferase↗
PubMed1976

Phosphatidylserine synthetase mutants of Escherichia coli. Genetic mapping and membrane phospholipid composition.

Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 defective in CDP-diglyceride:L-serine phosphatidyltransferase (phosphatidylserine synthetase) can be isolated by a rapid autoradiographic screening assay described previously (Raetz, C. R. H. (1975) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 72, 2274-2278). Four organisms of this kind have now been characterized. The gene (designated pss) which is altered in these mutants is closely linked to the nadB locus near minute 49 on the E. coli chromosome. Strains carrying the pss-8 mutation do not grow at elevated temperatures and have low levels of an altered synthetase in cell extracts. An analysis of several hundred transductants and temperature-resistant revertants reveals that the pss-8 mutation is responsible both for the enzyme defect and for the phenotype. When a pss-8 mutant is shifted to the nonpermissive temperature, the cells stop dividing and form long filaments. After 3 hours at 44 degrees the level of phosphatidylethanolamine drops from 66 to 32% (percentage of the total lipid phosphorus), while the combined levels of phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin rise from 34 to 68%.

CDPdiacylglycerol-Serine O-Phosphatidyltransferase↗
PubMed1976

Partial purification and characterization of cytidine 5'-diphosphate-diglyceride hydrolase from membranes of Escherichia coli.

Cytidine 5'-diphosphate (CDP)-diglyceride is hydrolyzed to phosphatidic acid and cytidine 5'-monophosphate by a specific membrane-bound enzyme in cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli. The hydrolase can be extracted from the particulate fraction with Triton X-100 and purified 1,000-fold in the presence of this detergent. Several nucleoside disphosphate diglycerides were synthesized to determine the substrate specificity of the hydrolase. CDP-diglyceride was hydrolyzed preferentially, although uridine 5'-diphosphate-diglyceride, guanosine 5'-diphosphate-diglyceride, and adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP)-diglyceride were also slowly hydrolyzed. Surprisingly, the purified enzyme did not catalyze detectable cleavage of deoxy-CDP (dCDP)-diglyceride. The liponucleotide pool of E. coli contains dCDP-diglyceride and CDP-diglyceride in approximately equal amounts (Raetz and Kennedy, 1973). Water-soluble nucleoside pyrophosphates, such as CDP-choline, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or adenosine 5'-triphosphate are not attacked by this specific hydrolase. Hydrolysis of CDP-diglyceride is strongly inhibited by adenosine 5'-monophosphate and by ADP-diglyceride.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1975

Isolation of Escherichia coli mutants defective in enzymes of membrane lipid synthesis.

A new method has been developed which permits the rapid screening of E. coli colonies for mutants with defective enzymes of phospholipid metabolism. In this procedure, a disc of filter paper is pressed down on an agar plate containing several hundred colonies of mutagen-treated cells, after which the paper is lifted off. In the process the colonies are transferred to the paper, giving rise to a replica print of the master plate. The few cells from each colony left on the master keep growing in the original pattern. The pattern of colonies is also retained on the filter paper, even after the cells are rendered permeable with lysozyme and EDTA. Colonies treated in this manner remain absorbed to the paper, where they can convert sn-(U-14-C)glycero-3-P to phosphatidyl(U-14-C)glycerophosphate, dependent on added CDP-diglyceride. Unrelated reactions of sn-(U-14-C)glycero-3-P that may obscure the synthesis of phosphatidyl-glycerophosphate are inhibited by the addition of reagents poisoning energy generation. The radioactive phospholipid that forms around each colony on the paper is precipitated in situ with trichloroacetic acid, and unreacted sn-(U-14-C)glycero-3-P is washed away. After autoradiography, the colonies on the filter paper are stained with Coomassie blue. When the autoradiogram is superimposed on the strained paper, mutants are identified as blue colonies lacking a black halo. With this method, 20,000 colonies were screened in several days. Four mutants were identified with low levels of CDP-diglyceride:snglycero-3-P phosphatidyl transferase (EC 2.7.8.5, GLYCEROL-PHOSPHATE PHOSPHATIDYLTRANSFERASE, PHOSPHATIDYLGLYCEROPHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE) IN EXTRACTS. With a similar assay, 10,000 additional colonies were screened for mutants with altered CDP-diglyceride:L-serine O-phosphatidyltransferase (EC 2.7.8.8, phosphatidylserine synthetase), and four strains were found in which the enzyme is thermolabile. The screening technique described here is termed replica printing and should be applicable not only to studies of phospholipid metabolism but also to nucleic acid and protein synthesis.

Autoradiography↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The enzymatic synthesis of lipid A: molecular structure and biologic function of monosaccharide precursors.

Certain Escherichia coli mutants, deficient in phosphatidylglycerol, accumulate novel, glucosamine-derived phospholipids that appear to be very early precursors of lipid A. The simplest of these, lipid X, is a derivative of glucosamine-1-phosphate substituted with beta-hydroxymyristoyl moieties at positions 2 and 3. The discovery of lipid X makes it possible to predict a biosynthetic pathway and a unified structure for lipid A. In addition, the minimal molecular requirements for the mitogenic and endotoxic properties of lipopolysaccharides can be elucidated with compounds of this kind.

Animals↗