Fig. 2: Nutrient recycling is dependent on Lon protease activity.
From: Bacteria encode post-mortem protein catabolism that enables altruistic nutrient recycling
a Plot of the change in cell density of E. coli BW25113 grown at 37 °C in M9/1% (v/v) glycerol media for 20 hrs in the presence or absence of lysate derived from WT or Lon-null cells and the indicated complementing empty plasmid (V; pBAD33) or Lon WT or mutant protein encoding plasmids (WT, WT + V, Lon-null + ATPase-null Lon, Lon-null + protease-null Lon, Lon-null + protease/ATPase-null Lon, Lon-null, Lon-null + V, n = 6; H2O, Lon-null + Lon-WT, n = 4; mean ± 95% C.I., p values - one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, F (DFn = 8, DFd = 41) = 23.00). Comparisons for which the Lon-null phenotype is not complemented (WT vs Lon-null, WT vs Lon-null + V, WT vs Lon-null + protease-null Lon, WT vs Lon-null + protease/ATPase-null Lon, WT vs H2O p < 0.0001, Lon-null vs H2O p > 0.999). Comparisons for which the Δlon phenotype is complemented (WT vs Lon-null + ATPase-null Lon p = 0.0031, WT vs WT + V, WT vs Lon-null + Lon WT, p > 0.999). b Plot of normalised casein-FITC fluorescence in lysate derived from E. coli BW25113 WT (WT) or BW25113Δlon (Δlon) and the indicated complementing empty plasmid (V; pBAD33) or Lon WT or mutant protein encoding plasmids (n = 6; mean ± 95% C.I., p values - one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, F (DFn = 8, DFd = 45) = 12.39). Comparisons for significant protease activity (Lon-null + V vs WT p = 0.0254; Lon-null + V vs WT + V p = 0.0077; Lon-null + V vs Lon-null + Lon WT p < 0.0001). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
