Phospholipids and protein adaptation of Pseudomonas sp. to the xenoestrogen tributyltin chloride (TBT).

Przemysław Bernat,Jerzy Długoński,Paulina Siewiera,Adrian Soboń

doi:10.1007/s11274-014-1659-3

Przemysław Bernat, Jerzy Długoński + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-014-1659-3

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Abstract

A tributyltin (TBT)-resistant strain of Pseudomonas sp. isolated from an overworked car filter was tested for its adaptation to TBT. The isolate was checked for organotin degradation ability, as well as membrane lipid and cellular protein composition in the presence of TBT. The phospholipid profiles of bacteria, grown with and without increased amounts of TBT, were characterized using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry. The strain reacted to the biocide by changing the composition of its phospholipids. TBT induced a twofold decline in the amounts of many molecular species of phosphatidylglycerol and an increase in the levels of phosphatidic acid (by 58 %) and phosphatidylethanolamine (by 70 %). An increase in the degree of saturation of phospholipid fatty acids of TBT exposed Pseudomonas sp. was observed. These changes in the phospholipid composition and concentration reflect the mechanisms which support optimal lipid ordering in the presence of toxic xenobiotic. In the presence of TBT the abundances of 16 proteins, including TonB-dependent receptors, porins and peroxidases were modified, which could indicate a contribution of some enzymes to TBT resistance.

Highlights

Tributyltin (TBT) is a xenoestrogen, which disrupts the normal function of human and animal hormonal systems by modelling their activity
The 16S rRNA analysis and a comparison of the obtained sequences using the BlastN algorithm in GenBank revealed that strain B-219 is Pseudomonas sp. with 100 % of probability to Pseudomonas sp
The examined strain, when exposed to TBT, showed significant changes in the phospholipid concentration and composition, which may reflect the degree of Pseudomonas sp

Summary

Introduction

Tributyltin (TBT) is a xenoestrogen, which disrupts the normal function of human and animal hormonal systems by modelling their activity. Among organisms attacked by TBT, bacterial cells are useful to study the molecular toxicity of membrane-active compounds, offering advantages over eukaryotic cells owing to the simple membrane organization (Martins et al 2005). In order to cope with this threat, organotin-resistant bacteria have developed adaptive responses to the toxicity of TBT. Among TBT-tolerant microorganisms, strains from the genus Pseudomonas are often mentioned (Roy and Nair 2007). A multidrug efflux transporter in Pseudomonas stutzeri could be involved in stress tolerance against TBT (Fukushima et al 2012). Studies on the adaptive stress responses of TBT-resistant bacteria including changes in membrane lipid and protein composition are still missing

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