Enterococcus faecalis pheromone-responding plasmid pAD1 gives rise to an aggregation (clumping) response when cells are exposed to subinhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol, erythromycin, or tetracycline

Plasmid. 1999 Jan;41(1):82-8. doi: 10.1006/plas.1998.1373.

Abstract

The Enterococcus faecalis conjugative cytolysin plasmid pAD1 encodes a specific aggregation (clumping) response to the peptide sex pheromone cAD1 secreted by plasmid-free strains. Here it is shown that, in the absence of cAD1, exposure of E. faecalis cells harboring pAD1 to subinhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol, erythromycin, or tetracycline also results in an aggregation response that appears related to a stress-sensitive mechanism associated with a component of the pheromone response.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Aggregation / drug effects
  • Chloramphenicol / pharmacology*
  • Enterococcus faecalis / drug effects
  • Enterococcus faecalis / genetics*
  • Erythromycin / pharmacology*
  • Fimbriae Proteins
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Oligopeptides / metabolism
  • Oligopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Plasmids / drug effects
  • Plasmids / physiology*
  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Sex Attractants / genetics
  • Tetracycline / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Oligopeptides
  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors
  • Sex Attractants
  • aggregation substance, Enterococcus faecalis
  • Fimbriae Proteins
  • Erythromycin
  • Chloramphenicol
  • cAD1 bacterial sex hormone
  • Tetracycline