Characterization of cell surface material removed by water and NaCl washing of Paracoccus denitrificans grown under conditions of divalent cation deficiency and sufficiency.

Paracoccus denitrificans grown on complex medium deficient in Mg2+ and Ca2+ are rendered lysozyme susceptible by washing with NaCl, whereas cells grown in a succinate-salts medium (Mg2+ and Ca2+ sufficient) or complex medium supplemented with Mg(2+)+Ca2+ are not. The material released by water washing of cells grown on complex medium and complex medium supplemented with Mg2+ and Ca2+ was characterized by a high protein content. There was a high lipid: protein ratio and an appreciable amount of 3-deoxyoctulosonic acid in the material released by NaCl washing of cells grown under all conditions, indicating release of outer membrane material. The lipid ornithine: lipid phosphorous ratios of NaCl wash from cells grown on complex medium and complex medium supplemented with Mg2+ and Ca2+ were 0.54 and 0.34, respectively. Although NaCl washing removed outer membrane material from cells grown under all conditions, only divalent cation deficient cells were rendered lysozyme susceptible. This might be explained by the increased outer membrane ornithine-containing lipid to phospholipid ratio in these cells yielding a more permeable outer membrane.