Induced cell aggregation and mating in Streptococcus faecalis: evidence for a bacterial sex pheromone.

AUTOR(ES)

Dunny, G M

RESUMO

Recipient strains of Streptococcus faecalis produce a trypsin sensitive, heat resistant, nuclease resistant factor, designated clumping-inducing agent (CIA) which causes strains carrying certain conjugative plasmids to aggregate. RNA and protein synthesis but not DNA synthesis are required for aggregation to occur. Recipient filtrates that contain CIA activity also induce donors to mate at high frequencies. Introduction of a transferable plasmid into strains producing CIA dramatically reduces the amount of CIA activity produced by the strain but allows the strain to respond to exogenously added CIA. Our data suggest that CIA represents a bacterial sex hormone (pheromone).

Documentos Relacionados

• Sex pheromone cAD1 in Streptococcus faecalis: induction of a function related to plasmid transfer.
• Identification of pheromone-induced surface proteins in Streptococcus faecalis and evidence of a role for lipoteichoic acid in formation of mating aggregates.
• Transfer functions of the Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pAD1: organization of plasmid DNA encoding response to sex pheromone.
• Regulation of the pAD1-encoded sex pheromone response in Enterococcus faecalis: nucleotide sequence analysis of traA.
• Identification of multiple cell surface antigens associated with the sex pheromone response of Streptococcus faecalis.