Interaction of Mg-2+ with peptidoglycan and its relation to the prevention of lysis of a marine pseudomonad.

Intact cells of marine pseudomonad B-16 (ATCC 19855) which have been washed with a solution of NaCl require only 0.001 M MgSO4 and 100 to 300 times this concentration of NaCl or KCl to prevent lysis. Conversion of intact cells to mureinoplasts, a process involving removal of the outer double-track layer (outer membrane) and the periplasmic space layer of the cell wall, approximately doubled the requirement for the three salts to prevent lysis. The formation of protoplasts from mureinoplasts by removing the peptidoglycan layer again doubled the requirement for Na+ and K+ salts but increased the requirement for the Mg-2+ salt 200- to 300-fold. Cells of the marine pseudomonad suspended in solutions containing Mg-2+ salts failed to lyse on subsequent repeated suspension in distilled water, whereas cells presuspended in NaCl lysed immediately. Isolated envelope layers including the peptidoglycan layer, when dialyzed against solutiions containing Mg-2+ salts, retained Mg-2+ after subsequent suspension in distilled water. Envelope layers exposed to solutions of Na+ or K+ salts failed to retain these ions after exposure to distilled water. Na+ displaced Mg-2+ from the cell envelope layers. The results obtained indicate that the capacity of Mg-2+ salts at very low concentration to prevent lysis of intact cells and mureinoplasts of this organism is due primarily to the interaction of Mg-2+ with the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall. Ion interaction with the layers lying outside of the peptidoglycan layer contributes only a small amount to the mechanical strength of the wall.