Survival, stress resistance, and alterations in protein expression in the marine vibrio sp. strain S14 during starvation for different individual nutrients

Abstract

The response of the marine Vibrio sp. strain S14 to starvation for carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus and to simultaneous depletion of all these nutrients (multiple-nutrient starvation) was examined with respect to survival, stress resistance, quantitative and qualitative alterations in protein and RNA synthesis, and the induction of the stringent control. Of the conditions tested, carbon starvation and multiple-nutrient starvation both promoted long-term starvation resistance and a rapid induction of the stringent control, as deduced from the kinetics of RNA synthesis. Carbonand multiple-nutrient-starved cells were also found to become increasingly resistant to heat, UV, near-UV, and CdCl2 stress. Nitrogenand phosphorus-starved cells demonstrated a poor ability to survive in the presence of carbon and did not develop a marked resistance to the stresses examined. The carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus starvation stimulons consisted of about 20 proteins each, while simultaneous starvation for all the nutrients elicited an increased synthesis of 42 polypeptides. Nine common proteins were found to be induced regardless of the starvation condition used and were tentatively termed general starvation proteins. It was also dem'onstrated that the total number of proteins induced in response to multiple-nutrient starvation was not a predictable sum of the different individual starvation stimulons. Multiple-nutrient starvation induced 14 proteins which were not detected at increased levels of expression in response to individual starvation conditions. Furthermore, four out of five phosphorus starvation-specific polypeptides were not induced during simultaneous starvation for phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon. The results are discussed in light of the physiological alterations previously described for Vibrio sp. strain S14 cells starved for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus simultaneously.

The induction of stress proteins in three marine Vibrio during carbon starvation

“…Predictably, a significant overlap between carbon starvation specific proteins and those induced by various stress conditions, such as heat, nalidixic acid and cadmium exposure, was observed. In comparison, very few overlapping protein responders were observed for the nitrogen or phosphorus starvation stimulon and the proteins induced by these stress agents [4]. These findings do not correspond to what has been observed for E. coli, where a significant overlap of proteins induced in response to different starvation conditions is responsible for the resistance developed towards stresses other than starvation [24].…”

“…It has been established that Vibrto sp. strain S14 develops resistance against other stress conditions, such as heat, UV irradiation and cadmium exposure during starvation [4]. For this organism, it was recently demonstrated that carbon rather than nitrogen or phosphorus starvation induces these responses as well as the formation of ultramicrocells [4].…”

“…strain S14 develops resistance against other stress conditions, such as heat, UV irradiation and cadmium exposure during starvation [4]. For this organism, it was recently demonstrated that carbon rather than nitrogen or phosphorus starvation induces these responses as well as the formation of ultramicrocells [4]. Predictably, a significant overlap between carbon starvation specific proteins and those induced by various stress conditions, such as heat, nalidixic acid and cadmium exposure, was observed.…”

“…Evidence is accumulating that for Vibrio sp. strain S14, carbon, rather than nitrogen or phosphorus appears to be the determinant for these features [4].…”

“…In natural environments, bacteria must adapt to a variety of environmental conditions which impose stress on the cell. The adaptation of marine bacteria to such conditions of stress has been explored in recent years [1][2][3][4][5]. It has also been demonstrated that starved ceils develop resis-Correspondence to" S. Kjelleberg tance against other stresses such as exposure to heat and UV irradiation.…”