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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:dateCreated
1998-4-21
pubmed:abstractText
Polyethyleneimine (PEI), a polycationic polymer substance used in various bioprocesses as a flocculating agent and to immobilize enzymes, was recently shown to make Gram-negative bacteria permeable to hydrophobic antibiotics and to detergents. Because this suggests impairment of the protective function of the outer membrane (OM), the effect of PEI on the ultrastructure of Salmonella typhimurium was investigated. Massive alterations in the OM of PEI-treated and thin-sectioned bacteria were observed by electron microscopy. Vesicular structures were seen on the surface of the OM, but no liberation of the membrane or its fragments was evident. Since a potential mechanism for the action of PEI could be its binding to anionic LPSs on the OM surface, the interaction of PEI with isolated LPSs was assayed in vitro. The solubility of smooth-type LPSs of Salmonella, regardless of the sugar composition of their O-specific chains, was not affected by PEI, nor was that of Ra-LPS (lacking O-specific chains but having a complete core oligosaccharide). PEI strongly decreased the solubility of rough-type LPSs of the chemotypes Rb2 and Re, whereas it had only a weak effect on the abnormally cationic Rb2-type pmrA mutant LPS, suggesting that the negative charge to mass ratio of LPS plays a critical role in the interaction.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
1350-0872
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
144 ( Pt 2)
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
385-90
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1998
pubmed:articleTitle
Permeabilizing action of polyethyleneimine on Salmonella typhimurium involves disruption of the outer membrane and interactions with lipopolysaccharide.
pubmed:affiliation
VTT Biotechnology and Food Research, Espoo, Finland. ilkka.helander@vtt.fi
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't