Characterization of the heat shock response in Enterococcus faecalis

We have characterized the general properties of the heat shock response of the Gram-positive hardy bacterium Enterococcus faecalis. The heat resistance (60 degrees C or 62.5 degrees C, 30 min) of log phase cells of E. faecalis grown at 37 degrees C was enhanced by exposing cells to a prior heat shoc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 1993-01, Vol.64 (1), p.47-55
Main Authors: BOUTIBONNES, P, GIARD, J. C, HARTKE, A, THAMMAVONGS, B, AUFFRAY, Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action of physical and chemical agents on bacteria
Antigens, Bacterial - immunology
Bacillus subtilis - immunology
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Blotting, Western
Cross Reactions
Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
Enterococcus faecalis
Enterococcus faecalis - drug effects
Enterococcus faecalis - growth & development
Enterococcus faecalis - metabolism
Escherichia coli - immunology
Ethanol - pharmacology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heat-Shock Proteins - biosynthesis
Heat-Shock Proteins - chemistry
Heat-Shock Proteins - immunology
Hot Temperature
Microbiology
Molecular Weight
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We have characterized the general properties of the heat shock response of the Gram-positive hardy bacterium Enterococcus faecalis. The heat resistance (60 degrees C or 62.5 degrees C, 30 min) of log phase cells of E. faecalis grown at 37 degrees C was enhanced by exposing cells to a prior heat shock at 45 degrees C or 50 degrees C for 30 min. These conditioning temperatures also induced ethanol (22%, v/v) tolerance. The onset of thermotolerance was accompanied by the synthesis of a number of heat shock proteins. The most prominent bands had molecular weights in the range of 48 to 94kDa. By Western blot analysis two of them were found to be immunologically related to the well known DnaK (72kDa) and GroEL (63kDa) heat shock proteins of Escherichia coli. Four other proteins showing little or no variations after exposure to heat are related to DnaJ, GrpE and Lon (La) E. coli proteins and to the Bacillus subtilis sigma 43 factor. Ethanol (2% or 4%, v/v) treatments elicited a similar response although there was a weaker induction of heat shock proteins than with heat shock.
ISSN:0003-6072
1572-9699
DOI:10.1007/BF00870921