Effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetate on phospholipids and outer membrane function in Escherichia coli

Treatment of Escherichia coli K-12 strain S15, containing a normal amount of phospholipase A, with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) resulted in an increase in sensitivity of the organism to actinomycin D. Strain S17, a mutant deficient in both detergent-resistant phospholipase A and detergent-sensitive phospholipase A, was considerably less sensitive to the antibiotic after the treatment. Both strains released lipopolysaccharide after EDTA treatment, indicating that this outer membrane component alone is not the barrier to actinomycin in these organisms. The phospholipase A-deficient strain released less alkaline phosphatase, a periplasmic enzyme. EDTA treatment of S15 resulted in the accumulation of free fatty acids, indicative of phospholipase A activation. Cells briefly treated with EDTA regained the barrier to actinomycin when incubated in growth media, and the cessation of the accumulation of free fatty acids was in approximate temporal agreement with restoration of the barrier. Cells in which phospholipase A was activated by brief exposure to EDTA synthesized relatively more phosphatidylethanolamine than did untreated cells in the initial period after dilution into growth media. These experiments suggest that the EDTA-induced loss of outer membrane barrier function of E. coli K-12 is mediated through the activation of phospholipase A.