Cellular response mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PseA during growth in organic solvents

Solvent-tolerant bacteria have emerged as a new class of micro-organisms able to grow at high concentrations of toxic solvents. Such bacteria and their solvent-stable enzymes are perceived to be useful for biotransformations in nonaqueous media. In the present study, the solvent-responsive features of a lipase-producing, solvent-tolerant strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PseA have been investigated to understand the cellular mechanisms followed under solvent-rich conditions.

The solvents, cyclohexane and tetradecane with differing log P-values (3.2 and 7.6 respectively), have been used as model systems. Effect of solvents on (i) the cell morphology and structure (ii) surface hydrophobicity and (iii) permeability of cell membrane have been examined using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and other biochemical techniques. The results show that (i) less hydrophobic (low log P-value) solvent cyclohexane alters the cell membrane integrity and (ii) cells adapt to organic solvents by changing morphology, size, permeability and surface hydrophobicity. However, no such changes were observed in the cells grown in tetradecane.

It may be concluded that P. aeruginosa PseA responds differently to solvents of different hydrophobicities. Bacterial cell membrane is more permeable to less hydrophobic solvents that eventually accumulate in the cytoplasm, while highly hydrophobic solvents have lesser tendency to access the membrane.

To the best of our knowledge, these are first time observations that show that way of bacterial solvent adaptability depends on nature of solvent. Difference in cellular responses towards solvents of varying log P-values (hydrophobicity) might prove useful to search for a suitable solvent for carrying out whole-cell biocatalysis.