Heptose-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli K12 deficient in up to three major outer membrane proteins.

Mutants of Escherichia coli K12, deficient in up to three major outer membrane proteins b, c and d have been constructed. Mutants that lack the lipopolysaccharide sugar heptose are deficient in protein b. All heptose-deficient strains are supersensitive to lysozyme, various antibiotics and detergents. They excrete the periplasmic enzyme ribonuclease I. Mutants deficient in proteins c and/or d have the same sensitivity towards these compounds as the parent strain. Cells of single, double and triple mutants are all rod-shaped. Electrophoretic analysis of cell envelope proteins indicates that in some mutants the protein deficiency is partially compensated for by increased amounts of one or two of the other major outer membrane proteins. Heptose-deficient strains have an increased amount of 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate.