Effect of arsenate on chemotactic behavior of Escherichia coli.

An Alternate Pathway of Arsenate Resistance in E. coli Mediated by the Glutathione S-Transferase GstB

Microbial arsenate resistance is known to be conferred by specialized oxidoreductase enzymes termed arsenate reductases. We carried out a genetic selection on media supplemented with sodium arsenate for multicopy genes that can confer growth to E. coli mutant cells lacking the gene for arsenate reductase (E. coli ΔarsC). We found that overexpression of glutathione S-transferase B (GstB) complem...

Unusual arsenate poisoning of the F pili of Escherichia coli.

The arsenate poisoning of R17 phage eclipse in Escherichia coli cultures grown in glycerol-containing medium has been found to be mediated by a dramatic loss in cell-associated F pili. Poisoning was very rapid and was nearly complete within 3 min at 37 C. The loss of pili was reflected by a 90% reduction in the ability of these cells to attach ribonucleic acid phage and by a reduction in the pi...

Photodynamic inactivation effect of methylene blue and toluidine blue O on ATCC Escherichia coli and clinical isolate of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli

Responses of Escherichia coli bacteria to two opposing chemoattractant gradients depend on the chemoreceptor ratio.

Escherichia coli chemotaxis has long served as a simple model of environmental signal processing, and bacterial responses to single chemical gradients are relatively well understood. Less is known about the chemotactic behavior of E. coli in multiple chemical gradients. In their native environment, cells are often exposed to multiple chemical stimuli. Using a recently developed microfluidic che...

Arsenate arrests flagellar rotation in cytoplasm-free envelopes of bacteria.

The effect of arsenate on flagellar rotation in cytoplasm-free flagellated envelopes of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium was investigated. Flagellar rotation ceased as soon as the envelopes were exposed to arsenate. Inclusion of phosphate intracellularly (but not extracellular) prevented the inhibition by arsenate. In a parallel experiment, the rotation was not affected by inclusion ...