Functional characteristics of extracellular vesicles produced by pseudomonas tragi ATCC 4973

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles, "blebs," were isolated from Pseudomas fragi ATCC 4973 grown in liquid culture. Vesicles were isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, centrifugation, and dialysis of the supernatant of an 82 h culture of P. fragi in trypticase-soy broth. The vesicles displayed considerable proteolytic activity. The proteinase was similar to that found in a free form in the supernatant. The vesicles were not associated with bacteriocinogenicity. The vesicles may act in the physiological distribution of extracellular proteinases.