Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

How does lysozyme penetrate through the bacterial outer membrane?

B Witholt, H V Heerikhuizen, L De Leij

    Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
    |September 7, 1976
    PubMed
    Summary

    Lysozyme penetrates Escherichia coli outer membranes with EDTA and osmotic shock. Magnesium ions stabilize the membrane, preventing penetration or stabilizing spheroplasts formed by prior lysozyme entry.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Transformation of homozygous diploid potato with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens binary vector system by adventitious shoot regeneration on leaf and stem segments.

    Plant molecular biology·2013
    Same author

    In situ hybridization to somatic metaphase chromosomes of potato.

    TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik·2013
    Same author

    Efficient transformation of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) using a binary vector in Agrobacterium rhizogenes.

    TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik·2013
    Same author

    Expression and inheritance of inserted markers in binary vector carrying Agrobacterium rhizogenes-transformed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

    TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik·2013
    Same author

    Biotransformation of limonene by bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and plants.

    Applied microbiology and biotechnology·2003
    Same author

    Gene cloning and characterization of multiple alkane hydroxylase systems in Rhodococcus strains Q15 and NRRL B-16531.

    Applied and environmental microbiology·2002

    Area of Science:

    • Microbiology
    • Cell Biology
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Lysozyme is an enzyme that degrades bacterial cell walls.
    • The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli presents a barrier to lysozyme.
    • Stationary phase cells exhibit increased resistance to enzymatic lysis.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate conditions enabling lysozyme penetration through the Escherichia coli outer membrane.
    • To determine the role of osmotic shock, EDTA, and Mg2+ in lysozyme entry and cell lysis.

    Main Methods:

    • Treatment of stationary phase Escherichia coli with lysozyme under varying conditions.
    • Inclusion of osmotic shock, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and magnesium ions (Mg2+).
    • Observation of lysozyme penetration and subsequent cell morphology changes (spheroplast formation, lysis).

    Main Results:

    • Lysozyme alone does not penetrate the outer membrane of plasmolyzed Escherichia coli.
    • Lysozyme penetration is facilitated by mild osmotic shock in the presence of EDTA.
    • Mg2+ inhibits lysozyme penetration during osmotic shock by stabilizing the outer membrane.
    • Mg2+ added after osmotic shock stabilizes the outer membrane of resulting spheroplasts, preventing lysis.

    Conclusions:

    • The outer membrane of Escherichia coli can be permeabilized to lysozyme using a combination of osmotic shock and EDTA.
    • Mg2+ plays a critical role in stabilizing the outer membrane, either preventing lysozyme entry or stabilizing spheroplasts.
    • Understanding these interactions is key to targeting Gram-negative bacterial cell walls.

    Related Experiment Videos