Characterization of Escherichia coli D-Cycloserine Transport and Resistant Mutants

D-Cycloserine (DCS) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that inhibits D-alanine ligase and alanine racemase activity. When Escherichia coli K-12 or CFT073 is grown in minimal glucose or glycerol medium, CycA transports DCS into the cell. E. coli K-12 cycA and CFT073 cycA mutant strains display increased DCS resistance when grown in minimal medium. However, the cycA mutants exhibit no change in DCS sensitivity compared to their parental strains when grown in LB (CFT073 and K-12) or human urine (CFT073 only). These data suggest that cycA does not participate in DCS sensitivity when strains are grown in a non-minimal medium. The small RNA GvcB acts as a negative regulator of E. coli K-12 cycA expression when grown in LB. Three E. coli K-12 gcvB mutant strains failed to demonstrate a change in DCS sensitivity when grown in LB. This further suggests a limited role for cycA in DCS sensitivity. To aid in the identification of E. coli genes involved in DCS sensitivity when grown on complex media, the Keio K-12 mutant collection was screened for DCS-resistant strains. dadA, pnp, ubiE, ubiF, ubiG, ubiH, and ubiX mutant strains showed elevated DCS resistance. The phenotypes associated with these mutants were used to further define three previously characterized E. coli DCS-resistant strains (chi 316, chi 444, and chi 453) isolated by Curtiss and colleagues (R. Curtiss, III, L. J. Charamella, C. M. Berg, and P. E. Harris, J. Bacteriol. 90:1238-1250, 1965). A dadA mutation was identified in both chi 444 and chi 453. In addition, results are presented that indicate for the first time that DCS can antagonize D-amino acid dehydrogenase (DadA) activity.