Biomaterial Database

Changes in cell dimensions during amino acid starvation of Escherichia coli. 1982

N Grossman, and E Z Ron, and C L Woldringh

Electron microscopic analysis was used to study cells of Escherichia coli B and K-12 during and after amino acid starvation. The results confirmed our previous conclusion that cell division and initiation of DNA replication occur at a smaller cell volume after amino acid starvation. Although during short starvation periods, the number of constricting cells decreased due to residual division, it appears that during prolonged starvation, cells of E. coli B and K-12 were capable of initiating new constrictions. During amino acid starvation, cell diameter decreased significantly. The decrease was reversed only after two generation times after the resumption of protein synthesis and was larger in magnitude than that previously observed before division (F. J. Trueba and C. L. Woldringh, J. Bacteriol. 142:869-878, 1980). This decrease in cell diameter correlates with synchronization of cell division which has been shown to occur after amino acid starvation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002455	Cell Division	The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION.	M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D004261	DNA Replication	The process by which a DNA molecule is duplicated.	Autonomous Replication,Replication, Autonomous,Autonomous Replications,DNA Replications,Replication, DNA,Replications, Autonomous,Replications, DNA
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D001426	Bacterial Proteins	Proteins found in any species of bacterium.	Bacterial Gene Products,Bacterial Gene Proteins,Gene Products, Bacterial,Bacterial Gene Product,Bacterial Gene Protein,Bacterial Protein,Gene Product, Bacterial,Gene Protein, Bacterial,Gene Proteins, Bacterial,Protein, Bacterial,Proteins, Bacterial