Manganese-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli: physiological and genetic studies.

Manganese is growth inhibitory for Escherichia coli. The manganese concentration required for inhibition is dependent upon the magnesium concentration of the medium. Mutants have been isolated which are partially resistant to manganese inhibition in both liquid and solid media. From conjugation experiments, the genetic locus for manganese-resistance, mng, appears to be between 34 and 37 min on the E. coli genetic map. Experiments with radioactive (28)Mg lead to the tentative conclusion that the mng mutants are altered in the inhibition constant for manganese as a competitive inhibitor for the mangnesium accumulation system. Once high manganese enters the cells, it displaces internal magnesium and leads to a net cellular loss and hence growth inhibition. The mng mutants are somewhat less subject to manganese-induced magnesium loss under comparable conditions than are manganese-sensitive wild-type cells.