Action of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, and lysozyme on cell walls of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Incubation of isolated cell walls of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and lysozyme, either singly or in combinations, results in partial solubilization of the cell walls.When cell walls were incubated with a combination of Tris and EDTA, approximately 30% of the total cell wall and 32% of the lipopolysaccharide fraction were solubilized. The following percentages of the individual cell wall constituents were solubilized: protein, 19%; carbohydrate, 35%; lipid, 5%; ash, 54%; and, phosphorus 23%. When lysozyme was included with Tris and EDTA, approximately 36% of the total cell wall and 86% of the lipopolysaccharide fraction were solubilized. Solubilization of the individual cell wall constituents was similarly increased.Phospholipids, which make up 7–8% of the intact cell wall of P. aeruginosa, were not released by incubation of the cell walls with these agents. Fatty acids in addition to those found in the lipopolysaccharide, howev...