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E J McGroarty

Publications and source records attributed to E J McGroarty.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Physical properties of short- and long-O-antigen-containing fractions of lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli 0111:B4.

Aggregates of short- and long-chain O-antigen-containing fractions of lipopolysaccharide were analyzed by electron spin resonance probing to reveal differences in their physical properties. The fluidities of the lipid regions of the two fractions were quite similar, although the long-chain lipopolysaccharide aggregates appeared to be more hydrated as reflected by the polarity determined with a lipid probe. In contrast, the head-group region of the long-chain fraction was dramatically more mobile than that of the short-chain sample. The binding of polycations (e.g., polymyxin B, spermine) to lipopolysaccharide aggregates was measured by the partitioning of a cationic spin probe. Less probe was displaced from the long-chain fraction and unseparated lipopolysaccharide than from the short-chain fraction by the addition of cations, suggesting that the long O-antigen masks anionic sites on lipopolysaccharide. These results indicate that the aggregate shape and reactivity of lipopolysaccharide are affected by O-antigen length. Thus, the biological activity of lipopolysaccharide may be modulated directly by the presence of O-antigen and indirectly by the effects of O-antigen on the lipopolysaccharide aggregate structure.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

A pH titration study on the ionic bridging within lipopolysaccharide aggregates.

The packing of lipopolysaccharide aggregates from rough strains of Escherichia coli was examined at different pH values. Lipopolysaccharide head-group motion, measured with an electron spin resonance probe, was found to be dependent on pH, and indicated the existence of multiple ionizable groups. Lipopolysaccharide from a rough (Ra) and a heptose-less (Re) mutant were more rigid at pH 5 than at pH 10.5. In addition, head-group mobility of the magnesium salt of Ra lipopolysaccharide was substantially less than that of the sodium salt at pH 7.0, whereas at high pH (pH 12) the two salts were equally fluid. Changes in head-group packing were also reflected in pH-dependent changes in the phase transition measured with differential scanning calorimetry. The enthalpy of the transition, delta Ht, for the sodium salt of Re lipopolysaccharide was greatest at pH 7.5 and approached zero in both the acidic and the basic pH ranges. We propose that fixed charges in the core and lipid A regions significantly influence lipopolysaccharide head-group motion and the lipopolysaccharide aggregation state. Furthermore, ionic bridging among phosphate groups dramatically rigidifies head group interactions in the neutral to acidic pH ranges.

Calorimetry, Differential Scanning↗
PubMed1985

Effects of aspirin, indomethacin, and sodium salicylate on human erythrocyte membranes as detected with electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

Electron spin resonance spectroscopy of probed samples was used to determine the structural changes in human erythrocyte membranes prior to and at intervals following ingestion of either 10 grains acetylsalicylic acid, 10 grains sodium salicylate, or 50 mg indomethacin by both male and female subjects. Analysis of erythrocytes from female subjects indicated a time-dependent disordering of the membrane over the eight hour period following aspirin ingestion while the cells of male subjects showed a slight membrane ordering over the same time period. Erythrocytes drawn from females at the beginning of the menstrual cycle showed the greatest amount of membrane disordering at one hour following aspirin ingestion, but by eight hours, the membrane structure had returned to that of control. The time dependent disordering in membrane structure of cells from females in the middle of the menstrual cycle was biphasic. Ingestion of indomethacin induced only slight membrane changes in both male and female subjects over the times examined. Ingestion of sodium salicylate by either men or women did not induce significant changes in erythrocyte membrane order. Washed erythrocytes when mixed with salicylate, aspirin, or indomethacin were either identical to control cells or slightly more ordered. This study suggests that aspirin-induced alterations in membrane structure may depend upon steroid hormone levels.

Aspirin↗
PubMed1985

High-molecular-weight components in lipopolysaccharides of Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella minnesota, and Escherichia coli.

Lipopolysaccharide from smooth strains of Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella minnesota, and Escherichia coli O111:B4, O55:B5, and O127:B8 was fractionated by gel filtration chromatography. All lipopolysaccharide samples separated into three major populations. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the fractions from S. typhimurium and S. minnesota indicated that the three peaks were made up of molecules with average O-antigen lengths of (i) 70 or more repeat units, (ii) 30 and 20 repeats units in the samples from S. typhimurium and S. minnesota, respectively, and (iii) 1 repeat unit. In contrast to the Salmonella samples, peak 1 from the E. coli samples was not detected on polyacrylamide gels and lacked detectable phosphate. This high-molecular-weight material had a sugar composition similar to that of O-antigen and was tentatively identified as capsular polysaccharide. Peaks 2 and 3 of the E. coli samples were analogous to those of the Salmonella isolates, containing lipopolysaccharide molecules with averages of 18 and 1 O-antigen repeat units, respectively. These lipopolysaccharide molecules did not completely dissociate during electrophoresis, and multimers were detected as distinct, anomalous, slow-migrating bands. Increasing the concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the gels resulted in the dissociation of these multimers.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

Binding of polycationic antibiotics and polyamines to lipopolysaccharides of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Polycations, such as aminoglycoside and peptide antibiotics, and naturally occurring polyamines were found to bind to the lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and alter its packing arrangement. Binding of cations was measured by the displacement of a cationic spin probe from lipopolysaccharide into the aqueous environment upon addition of competitive cations. The level of probe displacement was dependent on the concentration and charge of the competing cation, with the more highly charged cations being more effective at displacing probe. The relative affinity of several antibiotics for lipopolysaccharide correlated with their ability to increase outer membrane permeability, while the relative affinity of several polyamines correlated with their ability to stabilize the outer membrane. Probe mobility within the lipopolysaccharide head group was shown to be decreased by cationic antibiotics and unaltered or increased by polyamines. We propose that antibiotic permeability and disruption of outer membrane integrity by polycationic antibiotics results from binding of the antibiotic to anionic groups on lipopolysaccharide with a consequent change in the conformation of lipopolysaccharide aggregate structure.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1984

Na+-Ca2+ exchange in the axolemma-rich membrane vesicle preparations from the walking-leg nerves of the American lobster.

An axolemma-rich membrane vesicle fraction was prepared from the leg nerve of the lobster, Homerus americanus. In this preparation Ca2+ transport across the membrane was shown to require a Na+ gradient (Na+-Ca2+ exchange), and external K+ was found to facilitate this Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity. In addition, at high Ca2+ concentrations (20 mM) a Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange system was shown to operate, which is stimulated by Li+. The Na+-Ca2+ exchange system is capable of operating in the reverse direction, with Ca2+ uptake coupled with Na+ efflux. Such a vesicular preparation has the potential for providing useful experimental approaches to study the mechanism of this important Ca2+ extrusion system in the nervous system.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Quantitation of metal cations bound to membranes and extracted lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli.

Inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy was used to quantitate the metal cations bound to outer and cytoplasmic membranes and to extracted lipopolysaccharide from several Escherichia coli K12 strains. The outer membrane was found to be enriched in both calcium and magnesium relative to the cytoplasmic membrane. Both membranes contained significant levels of iron, aluminum, and zinc. The multivalent cation content of the lipopolysaccharide resembled that of the intact outer membrane. Lipopolysaccharide extracted from wild-type k12 strains contained higher levels of Mg than Ca regardless of the growth medium, but the medium used for growth did affect the relative amounts of bound Mg as well as the levels of the minor cations iron, aluminum, and zinc. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide isolated from a deep rough mutant strain, D21f2, contained more Ca than Mg. Electrodialysis of lipopolysaccharide from wild-type k12 strains removed 1 mol of Mg per mol of lipopolysaccharide but did not significantly affect the level of other bound metal ions. Dialysis of lipopolysaccharide against sodium (ethylenedinitrilo)tetraacetate removed most of the Mg and Ca, resulting in a sodium salt. The equimolar replacement of divalent cations with sodium in the sodium salt resulted in a net loss of counterion change. The sodium salt was dialyzed against either tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane hydrochloride, CaCl2, MgCl2, or TbCl3, and the resulting lipopolysaccharide salts were analyzed for their ionic composition. It was shown that tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and Ca can replace some but not all of the Na bound to the sodium salt, but all of the other multivalent cations tested replaced Na, resulting in uniform lipopolysaccharide salts. Lipopolysaccharide isolated from the deep rough mutant strain D21f2 was also converted into a sodium salt. Relative to the wild-type lipopolysaccharide, Na was able to neutralize the anionic charge to a greater extent in the mutant lipopolysaccharide. Our results suggest that the loss of specific groups in the core region of the lipopolysaccharide from the mutant strain results in a more open structure that allows the binding of larger cations and of more monovalent cations.

Cations↗
PubMed1983

Physical properties of defined lipopolysaccharide salts.

The electron spin resonance probes 5-doxylstearate and 4-(dodecyldimethylammonio)-1-oxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine bromide were used to characterize the fluidity of the acyl chain and head-group regions, respectively, of defined salts of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli K12. The removal of the weakly bound divalent cations from native LPS by electrodialysis and their replacement by sodium had little effect on the midpoint of the lipid-phase transition or on head-group mobility. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide acyl chain mobility increased following electrodialysis. The replacement of most of the remaining cations with sodium resulted in a further dramatic increase in mobility in both the polar and nonpolar regions of lipopolysaccharide. Head-group mobility of the sodium salt of LPS was shown to be reduced with the addition of divalent cations. Furthermore, evidence is presented which suggests that low magnesium concentrations may induce phase separations in the sodium salt. The magnesium salt of lipopolysaccharide closely resembled the native form in both head-group and acyl chain mobility although the cation charge to phosphorus ratio in the magnesium salt was greater than that detected in the native isolate. Analyses of other lipopolysaccharide salts support our hypothesis that many of the observed differences in the physical and pathological properties of lipopolysaccharide salts may simply be explained by the degree of charge neutralization.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗
PubMed1981

The modification of human erythrocyte membrane structure by membrane stabilizers: an electron spin resonance study.

Membrane structure in intact human erythrocytes was analyzed by electron-spin-resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The spin probes 5-doxyl stearate and 5-doxyl stearate methyl ester revealed thermally-induced structural transitions in the membrane at 37 degree C and 15 degree C. The addition of propranolol, diazepam, chlorpromazine, or Pluronic F68 all caused a decrease in the temperature of the upper transition, but did not markedly alter the temperature of the lower transition. In addition, diazepam caused a significant decrease in the ordering or packing of the membrane-lipid acyl chains. It is proposed here that the protection from hypotonic hemolysis that has been reported in the presence of these drugs is mediated by a structural rearrangement in the erythrocyte membrane involving a change in protein-lipid interactions.

Chlorpromazine↗
PubMed1980

Correlation between temperature range of growth and structural transitions in membranes and lipids of Escherichia coli K12.

Purified cytoplasmic and outer membranes isolated from cells of wild-type Escherichia coli grown at different temperatures were labelled with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and analyzed using fluorescence polarization techniques. Lipids extracted from the membranes were similarly analyzed using fluorescence polarization. The thermotropic structural transition in outer membranes changed as a function of growth temperature. The structural transition in cytoplasmic membranes and lipids extracted from either cytoplasmic or outer membranes did not change with growth temperature. These data suggest that adaptive changes which occur in the outer membrane determine the temperature range of growth of E. coli. These changes apparently require alterations in outer membrane components other than phospholipids.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1979

Relationship of growth temperature and thermotropic lipid phase changes in cytoplasmic and outer membranes from Escherichia coli K12.

Purified cytoplasmic and outer membranes isolated from cells of wild type Escherichia coli grown at 12, 20, 37 and 43 degrees C were labelled with the fatty acid spin probe 5-doxyl stearate. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy revealed broad thermotropic phase changes. The inherent viscosity of both membranes was found to increase as a function of elevated growth temperature. The lipid order to disorder transition in the outer membrane but not the cytoplasmic membrane was dramatically affected by the temperature of growth. As a result, the cytoplasmic membrane presumably existed in a gel + liquid crystalline state during cellular growth at 12 and 20 degrees C, but in a liquid crystalline state when cells were grown at 37 and 43 degrees C. In contrast, the outer membrane apparently existed in a gel + liquid crystalline state at all incubation temperatures. Data presented here indicate that the temperature range over which the cell can maintain the outer membrane phospholipids in a mixed (presumedly gel + liquid crystalline) state correlates with the temperature range over which growth occurs.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1979

Protein and ribonucleic acid syntheses in heat-damaged and heat-killed Escherichia coli.

Protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) syntheses were measured in both lethally injured and thermally damaged viable cells after heating at lethal temperatures. Immediately after heating, cells were incubated in growth media containing either [14C]leucine or [3H]uracil. The labeled cells were subsequently treated with penicillin. Viable cells were shown to lyse, and the intact nonviable cells were collected by centrifugation. The results showed that after heating, protein and RNA synthesis were reinitiated in the penicillin-sensitive cell population, but there was no detectable protein or RNA synthesis in the heat-killed cells which were resistant to penicillin. The lack of protein or RNA synthesis in lethally damaged cells during the entire recovery period may be interpreted to reflect the lethal thermal damage.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1973

Regulation of flagellar morphogenesis by temperature: involvement of the bacterial cell surface in the synthesis of flagellin and the flagellum.

When cells of Proteus vulgaris were transferred from 37 to 42 C, a temperature at which they continue to grow almost optimally, they ceased to form flagella after approximately one generation time. This failure was due to a lesion in the flagellin-synthesizing process rather than the inability of these cells to assemble the organelle from constituents once formed. After transfer back to 37 C, these cells regained their ability to synthesize flagellin and form flagella, after one generation. When added during this period, chloramphenicol, rifampin, or penicillin prevented the synthesis of flagellin. The regeneration of the organelle at 37 C, then, requires growth for one generation, a period during which not only ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis, but also the presence of an intact cell envelope or concurrent synthesis of cell wall, are required.

Animals↗