Biomaterial Database

Localization of alkaline phosphatase in three gram-negative rumen bacteria. 1973

K J Cheng, and J W Costerton

Of the three species (Bacteroides ruminicola, B. succinogenes, and Megasphaera elsdenii) of anaerobic gram-negative rumen bacteria studied, only B. ruminicola produced significant amounts of alkaline phosphatase. This enzyme, which is constitutive, showed a greater affinity for p-nitrophenylphosphate than for sodium-beta-glycerophosphate and was shown to be located exclusively in the periplasmic space of log-phase cells. Small amounts of this enzyme were released from these cells in stationary-phase cultures, but washing in 0.01 M MgCl(2) and the production of spheroplasts by using lysozyme in 0.01 M MgCl(2) did not release significant amounts of the enzyme. Exposure to 0.2 M MgCl(2) did not release significant amounts of the periplasmic alkaline phosphatase of the cell, and when these cells were spheroplasted with lysozyme in 0.2 M MgCl(2) only 25% of the enzyme was released. Spheroplasts were formed spontaneously in aging cultures of B. ruminicola, but even these cells retained most of their periplasmic alkaline phosphatase. It was concluded that the alkaline phosphatase of B. ruminicola is firmly bound to a structural component within the periplasmic area of the cell wall and that the enzyme is released in large amounts only when the cells break down. The behavior of alkaline phosphatase in this bacterium contrasts with that of conventional periplasmic enzymes of aerobic bacteria, which are released upon conversion into spheroplasts by lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and by other types of cell wall damage. All three species of bacteria studied here, as well as bacteria found in mixed populations in the rumen, have thick, complex layers external to the double-track layer of their cell walls. In addition, B. ruminicola produces a loose extracellular material.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008274	Magnesium	A metallic element that has the atomic symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and atomic weight 24.31. It is important for the activity of many enzymes, especially those involved in OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION.
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008858	Microscopy, Phase-Contrast	A form of interference microscopy in which variations of the refracting index in the object are converted into variations of intensity in the image. This is achieved by the action of a phase plate.	Phase-Contrast Microscopy,Microscopies, Phase-Contrast,Microscopy, Phase Contrast,Phase Contrast Microscopy,Phase-Contrast Microscopies
D009113	Muramidase	A basic enzyme that is present in saliva, tears, egg white, and many animal fluids. It functions as an antibacterial agent. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of 1,4-beta-linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in peptidoglycan and between N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in chitodextrin. EC 3.2.1.17.	Lysozyme,Leftose,N-Acetylmuramide Glycanhydrolase,Glycanhydrolase, N-Acetylmuramide,N Acetylmuramide Glycanhydrolase
D009247	NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases	A group of oxidoreductases that act on NADH or NADPH. In general, enzymes using NADH or NADPH to reduce a substrate are classified according to the reverse reaction, in which NAD+ or NADP+ is formally regarded as an acceptor. This subclass includes only those enzymes in which some other redox carrier is the acceptor. (Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992, p100) EC 1.6.	Oxidoreductases, NADH, NADPH,NADPH Oxidoreductases NADH,Oxidoreductases NADH, NADPH
D002473	Cell Wall	The outermost layer of a cell in most PLANTS; BACTERIA; FUNGI; and ALGAE. The cell wall is usually a rigid structure that lies external to the CELL MEMBRANE, and provides a protective barrier against physical or chemical agents.	Cell Walls,Wall, Cell,Walls, Cell
D002474	Cell-Free System	A fractionated cell extract that maintains a biological function. A subcellular fraction isolated by ultracentrifugation or other separation techniques must first be isolated so that a process can be studied free from all of the complex side reactions that occur in a cell. The cell-free system is therefore widely used in cell biology. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p166)	Cellfree System,Cell Free System,Cell-Free Systems,Cellfree Systems,System, Cell-Free,System, Cellfree,Systems, Cell-Free,Systems, Cellfree
D005969	Glutamate Dehydrogenase	An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L-glutamate and water to 2-oxoglutarate and NH3 in the presence of NAD+. (From Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992) EC 1.4.1.2.	Dehydrogenase, Glutamate
D000469	Alkaline Phosphatase	An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an orthophosphoric monoester and water to an alcohol and orthophosphate. EC 3.1.3.1.
D000693	Anaerobiosis	The complete absence, or (loosely) the paucity, of gaseous or dissolved elemental oxygen in a given place or environment. (From Singleton & Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed)	Anaerobic Metabolism,Anaerobic Metabolisms,Anaerobioses,Metabolism, Anaerobic,Metabolisms, Anaerobic