Changes in E. coli cell envelope structure caused by uncouplers of active transport and colicin E1

It is of interest to inquire whether agents that uncouple or deenergize membranes cause concomitant structural changes. The agents considered here are the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone and the bacteriocidal protein colicin E1, agents for which there is some precedent for believing that they interact with membranes. In intact E. coli ML 308-225 cells the inhibition of [14C]-PROLINE ACtive transport by FCCP increases with uncoupler concentration from approximately 20% at 2 muM to approximately 100% at 5 muM. The increase in the rotational relaxation time (rho) of the cell-bound fluorescent probe N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (PhNap)1 and 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonate (ANS) under these conditions shows the same dependence on FCCP concentration. For cells treated with EDTA to remove part of the outer lipopolysaccharide layer, inhibition of proline transport and the increase in rho value of ANS show the same dependence on FCCP concentration with saturation at 0.3 muM. EDTA treatment causes a large increase in the binding and rotational relaxation time of PhNap, the latter quantity approaching a value obtained with purified inner membrane. Similar effects are produced in untreated cells by 5muM FCCP...