Glycogen and various other polysaccharides stimulate the formation of exolipase by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Glycogen enhances the formation of exolipase by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 although the cells cannot utilize it as sole carbon and energy source. Glycogen is unable to influence exolipase activities in conditioned media after removal of the cells. Treatment of cells with glycogen does not promote overall protein synthesis but inhibitors of protein synthesis (e.g., rifampicin and chloramphenicol) prevent the glycogen effect, suggesting that specific de novo protein synthesis is required. In addition to glycogen, 5 other polysaccharides (among 13 tested) were found to have exolipase-enhancing ability. The results are discussed with regard to the detachment hypothesis of U.K. Winkler and M. Stuckmann (1979. J. Bacteriol. 138: 663-670). According to this hypothesis polysaccharides are assumed to dislocate cell-bound lipase to the medium via specific interactions with the bacterial cell surface.