Content of cardiolipi n of the membrane and sensitivit y to cationic surfactants in Pseudomonas putida

GASTÓN ALBERTO LÓPEZ; ROMINA MARISA HEREDIA; PAOLA SABRINA BOERIS; GLORIA INÉS LUCCHESI

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016

1364-5072

Aims: To establish the role of cardiolipin of the membrane in response to the presence of tetradecyltrimethylammonium in Pseudomonas putida A (ATCC 12633).Methods and Results: Two ORFs of Ps. putida A (ATCC 12633), which in Ps. putida KT2440 encode the putative cardiolipin synthase genes cls and cls2, were cloned, sequenced and mutated. Only the double mutant lacking cls and cls2 showed a reduction of the cardiolipin content, 83% lower than the amount produced by the wild-type. Accompanying this change was a 40% decrease in the content of unsaturated fatty acid. Consequently, the membrane of the mutant was more rigid than the one of the parental strain, as observed using fluorescence polarization techniques. The mutant strain showed reduced viability in presence of tetradecyltrimethylammonium. The incorporation of exogenous cardiolipin into its membrane relieved sensitivity to the cationic detergent.Conclusions: Ps. Putida cells with low levels of cardiolipin die in presence of tetradecyltrimethylammonium, because they cannot counter the fluidizing effect of the cationic surfactant.Significance and Impact of the Study: The modification in the membrane phospholipids composition allows knowing the adaptation strategy of Ps. putida when these bacteria are exposed to cationic surfactant.