Membrane fluidization triggers membrane remodeling which affects the thermotolerance in Escherichia coli

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 328; no. 4; pp. 1216 - 1223
• Main Authors: Shigapova, Natalia, Török, Zsolt, Balogh, Gábor, Goloubinoff, Pierre, Vígh, László, Horváth, Ibolya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 25-03-2005
• Subjects: Acquired thermotolerance; Adaptation, Physiological - drug effects; Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Adaptation, Physiological - radiation effects; Benzyl Alcohol - pharmacology; Cell Membrane Permeability - drug effects; Cell Membrane Permeability - physiology; Cell Membrane Permeability - radiation effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - physiology; Escherichia coli - radiation effects; Escherichia coli - ultrastructure; Heat stress; Heat-Shock Response - drug effects; Heat-Shock Response - physiology; Heat-Shock Response - radiation effects; Hot Temperature; Lipid saturation; Membrane fluidity; Membrane Fluidity - drug effects; Membrane Fluidity - physiology; Membrane Fluidity - radiation effects; Molecular chaperones; Thermosensor; Membrane fluidity; Heat stress; Lipid saturation; Molecular chaperones; Thermosensor; Acquired thermotolerance
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.01.081

Treatment of
Escherichia coli with non-lethal doses of heat or benzyl alcohol (BA) causes transient membrane fluidization and permeabilization, and induces the rapid transcription of heat-shock genes in a σ
32-dependent manner. This early response is followed by a rapid adaptation (priming) of the cells to otherwise lethal elevated temperature, in strong correlation with an observed remodeling of the composition and alkyl chain unsaturation of membrane lipids. The acquisition of cellular thermotolerance in BA-primed cells is unrelated to protein denaturation and is not accompanied by the formation of major heat-shock proteins, such as GroEL and DnaK. This suggests that the rapid remodeling of membrane composition is sufficient for the short-term bacterial thermotolerance.