Membrane-derived oligosaccharides (MDOs) are essential for sodium dodecyl sulfate resistance in Escherichia coli

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Separation of the Cell Envelope for Gram-negative Bacteria into Inner and Outer Membrane Fractions with Technical Adjustments for Acinetobacter baumannii
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Separation of the Cell Envelope for Gram-negative Bacteria into Inner and Outer Membrane Fractions with Technical Adjustments for Acinetobacter baumannii

Published on: April 10, 2020

Soumitra Rajagopal1, Nicole Eis, Meenakshi Bhattacharya

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0666, USA. knickerson1@unl.edu

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|June 12, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Membrane-derived oligosaccharides (MDOs) are crucial for Escherichia coli resistance to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Without sufficient MDOs, E. coli cells become sensitive to SDS, leading to lysis.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Membrane-derived oligosaccharides (MDOs), also known as osmoregulated periplasmic glucans, are essential components of the bacterial cell envelope.
  • The role of MDOs in protecting bacteria against environmental stressors like detergents is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of MDOs in conferring resistance to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in Escherichia coli.
  • To determine if MDO synthesis is a prerequisite for surviving SDS exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative growth studies of wild-type E. coli and isogenic mdoA and mdoB mutants in the presence of varying SDS concentrations.
  • Phenotypic analysis of an E. coli mutant (DF214) with conditional MDO synthesis under different growth conditions.
  • Assessment of cell viability and lysis following SDS shock in E. coli strains with differing MDO levels.

Main Results:

  • Wild-type E. coli MC4100 demonstrated robust growth in 10% SDS, while mdoA and mdoB mutants were severely inhibited above 0.5% SDS.
  • E. coli strain DF214 showed conditional SDS sensitivity, growing in media supporting MDO synthesis but not in media that did not.
  • Cells grown under high-osmolarity conditions (low MDO production) were rapidly lysed by 5% SDS, irrespective of growth phase.

Conclusions:

  • MDOs are essential for providing resistance to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in Escherichia coli.
  • The absence or reduction of MDOs significantly compromises bacterial cell integrity and survival in the presence of SDS.
  • MDOs play a critical protective role against detergent-induced cell lysis in E. coli.

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