Pesticin-dependent generation of osmotically stable spheroplast-like structures

Abstract

Homogeneous pesticin, a bacteriocin produced by Yersinia pestis, promoted rapid dose-dependent killing of Escherichia coli ∅ but permitted residual generation of cell mass. Both growing cells and those blocked in net synthesis of nucleic acids or protein were converted by pesticin to osmotically stable spheroplast-like forms. Morphology and viability of cells starved for fermentable carbohydrate were not affected by pesticin. Similar spheroplast-like structures were formed from sensitive cells of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Y. pestis.