Genetics of colicin E susceptibility in citrobacter freundii

The insensitivity of Citrobacter freundii to the E colicins is based on tolerance to colicin E1 and resistance to colicins E2 and E3. Spontaneous colicin A resistant mutants of C. freundii also lost their colicin E1 receptor function. Sensitivity to colicin E1 can be induced by F'gal+tol+ plasmids, the tol A+ gene product of which is responsible for this effect. Receptor function for colicins E2 and E3 is induced by the E. coli F'14 bfe+ plasmid, which is also able to enhance notably the receptor capacity for colicin E1. The bfe+ gene product of E. coli, which is responsible for these phenomena, also restores the receptor function for colicin A and E1 in colicin A resistant mutants of C. freundii. All results show that there is a remarkable difference between the E. coli bfe+ gene product and the bfe+ gene product of C. freundii and also between the tol A+ gene products of these strains. The sensitivity to phage BF23 parallels the sensitivity to colicins E2 and E3 and is also induced by the F'14 bfe+ plasmid.