Gadeau A P, Mouches C, Bove J M
J Bacteriol. 1986 Jun;166(3):824-8. doi: 10.1128/jb.166.3.824-828.1986.
The effect of rifampin on five mollicutes (Spiroplasma citri, Spiroplasma melliferum, Spiroplasma apis, Acholeplasma laidlawii, and Mycoplasma mycoides) was compared with that on Escherichia coli. We found that, in contrast to wild-type E. coli, mollicutes were insensitive to rifampin. DNA-dependent RNA polymerases from S. melliferum and S. apis were purified to the stage where the enzymes were dependent on the addition of exogenous templates for activity. The enzymes were then tested for their sensitivity to rifampin. Spiroplasmal enzymes were at least 1,000 times less sensitive to rifampin than the corresponding E. coli enzyme. This result provides a molecular basis for the resistance of mollicutes to rifampin. The RNA polymerase of S. melliferum was further purified and its subunit composition was investigated. The RNA polymerase has one small and two large subunits. The structure of S. melliferum RNA polymerase therefore resembles that of the eubacterial enzymes in spite of its insensitivity to rifampin.
将利福平对五种柔膜菌（柑橘螺原体、蜜蜂螺原体、蜜蜂螺旋体、莱氏无胆甾原体和丝状支原体）的作用与对大肠杆菌的作用进行了比较。我们发现，与野生型大肠杆菌不同，柔膜菌对利福平不敏感。从蜜蜂螺原体和蜜蜂螺旋体中纯化出依赖DNA的RNA聚合酶，纯化到酶活性依赖于添加外源模板的阶段。然后测试这些酶对利福平的敏感性。螺原体酶对利福平的敏感性比对相应大肠杆菌酶的敏感性至少低1000倍。这一结果为柔膜菌对利福平的抗性提供了分子基础。对蜜蜂螺原体的RNA聚合酶进行了进一步纯化，并研究了其亚基组成。该RNA聚合酶有一个小亚基和两个大亚基。因此，尽管蜜蜂螺原体RNA聚合酶对利福平不敏感，但其结构类似于真细菌的酶。
