Scaffold proteins IRSp53 and spinophilin regulate localized Rac activation by T-lymphocyte invasion and metastasis protein 1 (TIAM1).

The Rac exchange factor Tiam1 is involved in diverse cell functions and signaling pathways through multiple protein interactions, raising the question of how signaling and functional specificity are achieved. We have shown that Tiam1 interactions with different scaffold proteins activate different Rac-dependent pathways by recruiting specific Rac effector proteins, and reasoned that there must be regulatory mechanisms governing each interaction. Fibroblasts express at least two Tiam1-interacting proteins, insulin receptor substrate protein 53 kDa (IRSp53) and spinophilin.

Survey of extreme solvent tolerance in gram-positive cocci: membrane fatty acid changes in Staphylococcus haemolyticus grown in toluene.

We exploited the unique ecological niche of oil fly larval guts to isolate a strain of Staphylococcus haemolyticus which may be the most solvent-tolerant gram-positive bacterium yet described. This organism is able to tolerate 100% toluene, benzene, and p-xylene on plate overlays and saturating levels of these solvents in monophasic liquid cultures. A comparison of membrane fatty acids by gas chromatography after growth in liquid media with and without toluene showed that in cells continuously exposed to solvent the proportion of anteiso fatty acids increased from 25.

Features of ribosome-peptidyl-tRNA interactions essential for tryptophan induction of tna operon expression.

Certain nascent peptide sequences, when within the ribosomal exit tunnel, can inhibit translation termination and/or peptide elongation. The 24 residue leader peptidyl-tRNA of the tna operon of E. coli, TnaC-tRNA(Pro), in the presence of excess tryptophan, resists cleavage at the tnaC stop codon.

Eight gram-negative bacteria are 10,000 times more sensitive to cationic detergents than to anionic detergents.

In liquid culture, eight typical gram-negative bacteria were ca. 10,000-fold more sensitive to cationic detergents than to the anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was inhibitory at concentrations ranging from 0.

Membrane-derived oligosaccharides (MDOs) are essential for sodium dodecyl sulfate resistance in Escherichia coli.

We studied the role of membrane-derived oligosaccharides (MDOs) in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) resistance by Escherichia coli. MDOs are also known as osmoregulated periplasmic glucans. Wild-type E.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate hypersensitivity of clpP and clpB mutants of Escherichia coli.

We studied the hypersensitivity of clpP and clpB mutants of Escherichia coli to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Both wild-type E. coli MC4100 and lon mutants grew in the presence of 10% SDS, whereas isogenic clpP and clpB single mutants could not grow above 0.