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Boutonnet C, Lyonnais S, Alpha-Bazin B, Armengaud J, Château A, Duport C. Dynamic Profile of S-Layer Proteins Controls Surface Properties of Emetic Bacillus cereus AH187 Strain. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:937862. [PMID: 35847057 PMCID: PMC9277125 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.937862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many prokaryotes are covered by a two-dimensional array of proteinaceous subunits. This surface layers (S-layer) is incompletely characterized for many microorganisms. Here, we studied Bacillus cereus AH187. A genome analysis identified two genes encoding the S-layer proteins SL2 and EA1, which we experimentally confirmed to encode the two protein components of the S-layer covering the surface of B. cereus. Shotgun proteomics analysis indicated that SL2 is the major component of the B. cereus S-layer at the beginning of exponential growth, whereas EA1 becomes more abundant than SL2 during later stages of stationary growth. Microscopy analysis revealed the spatial organization of SL2 and EA1 at the surface of B. cereus to depend on their temporal-dynamics during growth. Our results also show that a mutant strain lacking functional SL2 and EA1 proteins has distinct surface properties compared to its parental strain, in terms of stiffness and hydrophilicity during the stationary growth phase. Surface properties, self-aggregation capacity, and bacterial adhesion were observed to correlate. We conclude that the dynamics of SL2 and EA1 expression is a key determinant of the surface properties of B. cereus AH187, and that the S-layer could contribute to B. cereus survival in starvation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beatrice Alpha-Bazin
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Jean Armengaud
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Alice Château
- Avignon Université, INRAE, UMR SQPOV, Avignon, France
| | - Catherine Duport
- Avignon Université, INRAE, UMR SQPOV, Avignon, France
- *Correspondence: Catherine Duport,
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2
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Misra CS, Sounderajan S, Apte SK. Metal removal by metallothionein and an acid phosphatase PhoN, surface-displayed on the cells of the extremophile, Deinococcus radiodurans. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 419:126477. [PMID: 34323731 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The utility of surface layer proteins (Hpi and SlpA) of the radiation resistant bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans, was investigated for surface display and bioremediation of cadmium and uranium. The smtA gene, from Synechococcus elongatus (encoding the metal binding metallothionein protein), was cloned and over-expressed in D. radiodurans, either as such or as a chimeric gene fused with hpi ORF (Hpi-SmtA), or fused to the nucleotide sequence encoding the SLH domain of the SlpA protein (SLH-SmtA). The expressed fusion proteins localized to the deinococcal cell surface, while the SmtA protein localized to the cytoplasm. Recombinant cells surface-displaying the SLH-SmtA or Hpi-SmtA fusion proteins respectively removed 1.5-3 times more cadmium than those expressing only cytosolic SmtA. The deinococcal Hpi protein layer per se also contributed to U binding, by conferring substantial negative charge to deinococcal cell surface. The ORF of an acid phosphatase, PhoN was fused with the hpi or SLH domain DNA sequence and purified. Isolated Hpi-PhoN and SLH-PhoN, immobilized on deinococcal peptidoglycan showed efficient uranium precipitation (446 and 160 mg U/g biomass used respectively). The study demonstrates effective exploitation of the deinococcal S layer protein components for (a) cell surface-based sequestration of cadmium, and (b) cell-free preparations for uranium remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chitra Seetharam Misra
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400094, India.
| | - Suvarna Sounderajan
- Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Shree Kumar Apte
- School of Biosciences, UM-DAE-Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Vidyanagari, Kalina, Mumbai 400098, India.
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3
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Abstract
Bacterial surface layers (S-layers) have been observed as the outermost cell envelope component in a wide range of bacteria and most archaea. S-layers are monomolecular lattices composed of a single protein or glycoprotein species and have either oblique, square or hexagonal lattice symmetry with unit cell dimensions ranging from 3 to 30 nm. They are generally 5 to 10 nm thick (up to 70 nm in archaea) and represent highly porous protein lattices (30–70% porosity) with pores of uniform size and morphology in the range of 2 to 8 nm. Since S-layers can be considered as one of the simplest protein lattices found in nature and the constituent units are probably the most abundantly expressed proteins on earth, it seems justified to briefly review the different S-layer lattice types, the need for lattice imperfections and the discussion of S-layers from the perspective of an isoporous protein network in the ultrafiltration region. Finally, basic research on S-layers laid the foundation for applications in biotechnology, synthetic biology, and biomimetics.
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Abstract
Nanosciences are distinguished by the cross-fertilization of biology, chemistry, material sciences, and solid-state physics and, hence, open up a great variety of new opportunities for innovation. The technological utilization of self-assembly systems, wherein molecules spontaneously associate under equilibrium conditions into reproducible supramolecular structures, is one key challenge in nanosciences for life and non-life science applications. The attractiveness of such processes is due to their ability to build uniform, ultra-small functional units with predictable properties down to the nanometer scale. Moreover, newly developed techniques and methods open up the possibility to exploit these structures at meso- and macroscopic scale. An immense significance at innovative approaches for the self-assembly of supramolecular structures and devices with dimensions of a few to tens of nanometers constitutes the utilization of crystalline bacterial cell surface proteins. The latter have proven to be particularly suited as building blocks in a molecular construction kit comprising of all major classes of biological molecules. The controlled immobilization of biomolecules in an ordered fashion on solid substrates and their directed confinement in definite areas of nanometer dimensions are key requirements for many applications including the development of bioanalytical sensors, biochips, molecular electronics, biocompatible surfaces, and signal processing between functional membranes, cells, and integrated circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Schuster
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, Institute for Synthetic Bioarchitectures, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Uwe B Sleytr
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, Institute for Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Varga M. Targeting at the Nanoscale: A Novel S-Layer Fusion Protein Enabling Controlled Immobilization of Biotinylated Molecules. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2016; 6:E199. [PMID: 28335327 PMCID: PMC5245738 DOI: 10.3390/nano6110199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
With the aim of constructing an S-layer fusion protein that combines both excellent self-assembly and specific ligand i.e., biotin binding ability, streptavidin (aa 16-133) was fused to the S-layer protein of Sporosarcina ureae ATCC 13881 (SslA) devoid of its N-terminal 341 and C-terminal 172 amino acids. The genetically engineered chimeric protein could be successfully produced in E. coli, isolated, and purified via Ni affinity chromatography. In vitro recrystallisation experiments performed with the purified chimeric protein in solution and on a silicon wafer have demonstrated that fusion of the streptavidin domain does not interfere with the self-assembling properties of the S-layer part. The chimeric protein self-assembled into multilayers. More importantly, the streptavidin domain retained its full biotin-binding ability, a fact evidenced by experiments in which biotinylated quantum dots were coupled to the fusion protein monomers and adsorbed onto the in vitro recrystallised fusion protein template. In this way, this S-layer fusion protein can serve as a functional template for the controlled immobilization of biotinylated and biologically active molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Varga
- Electronics Packaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01069, Germany.
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6
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Raff J, Matys S, Suhr M, Vogel M, Günther T, Pollmann K. S-Layer-Based Nanocomposites for Industrial Applications. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 940:245-279. [PMID: 27677516 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-39196-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
This chapter covers the fundamental aspects of bacterial S-layers: what are S-layers, what is known about them, and what are their main features that makes them so interesting for the production of nanostructures. After a detailed introduction of the paracrystalline protein lattices formed by S-layer systems in nature the chapter explores the engineering of S-layer-based materials. How can S-layers be used to produce "industry-ready" nanoscale bio-composite materials, and which kinds of nanomaterials are possible (e.g., nanoparticle synthesis, nanoparticle immobilization, and multifunctional coatings)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of S-layer-based composite materials? Finally, the chapter highlights the potential of these innovative bacterial biomolecules for future technologies in the fields of metal filtration, catalysis, and bio-functionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Raff
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, 51 01 19, 01314, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Sabine Matys
- Department of Processing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, 51 01 19, 01314, Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthias Suhr
- Department of Processing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, 51 01 19, 01314, Dresden, Germany
| | - Manja Vogel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, 51 01 19, 01314, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tobias Günther
- Department of Processing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, 51 01 19, 01314, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Pollmann
- Department of Processing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, 51 01 19, 01314, Dresden, Germany
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Schuster B, Sleytr UB. Relevance of glycosylation of S-layer proteins for cell surface properties. Acta Biomater 2015; 19:149-157. [PMID: 25818946 PMCID: PMC4414373 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the building principles and intrinsic features modulating certain water-associated processes (e.g., surface roughness in the nanometer scale, surface hydration and accompanied antifouling property, etc.) of surface structures from (micro)organisms is nowadays a highly challenging task in fields like microbiology, biomimetic engineering and (bio)material sciences. Here, we show for the first time the recrystallization of the wild-type S-layer glycoprotein wtSgsE from Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a and its recombinantly produced non-glycosylated form, rSgsE, on gold sensor surfaces. Whereas the proteinaceous lattice of the S-layer proteins is forming a rigid layer on the sensor surface, the glycan chains are developing an overall soft, highly dissipative film. Interestingly, to the wtSgsE lattice almost twice the amount of water is bound and/or coupled in comparison with the non-glycosylated rSgsE with the preferred region being the extending glycan residues. The present results are discussed in terms of the effect of the glycan residues on the recrystallization, the adjoining hydration layer, and the nanoscale roughness and fluidic behavior. The latter features may turn out to be one of the most general ones among bacterial and archaeal S-layer lattices.
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Ladenhauf EM, Pum D, Wastl DS, Toca-Herrera JL, Phan NVH, Lieberzeit PA, Sleytr UB. S-layer based biomolecular imprinting. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra14971a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AFM image of an S-layer protein array used for making molecular imprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Ladenhauf
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- Department of Nanobiotechnology
- Institute of Biophysics
- A-1190 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Dietmar Pum
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- Department of Nanobiotechnology
- Institute of Biophysics
- A-1190 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Daniel S. Wastl
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- Department of Nanobiotechnology
- Institute of Biophysics
- A-1190 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Jose Luis Toca-Herrera
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- Department of Nanobiotechnology
- Institute of Biophysics
- A-1190 Vienna
- Austria
| | - Nam V. H. Phan
- University of Vienna
- Department of Analytical Chemistry
- A-1090 Vienna
- Austria
| | | | - Uwe B. Sleytr
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- Department of Nanobiotechnology
- Institute of Biophysics
- A-1190 Vienna
- Austria
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9
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Sleytr UB, Schuster B, Egelseer E, Pum D. S-layers: principles and applications. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2014; 38:823-64. [PMID: 24483139 PMCID: PMC4232325 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Monomolecular arrays of protein or glycoprotein subunits forming surface layers (S-layers) are one of the most commonly observed prokaryotic cell envelope components. S-layers are generally the most abundantly expressed proteins, have been observed in species of nearly every taxonomical group of walled bacteria, and represent an almost universal feature of archaeal envelopes. The isoporous lattices completely covering the cell surface provide organisms with various selection advantages including functioning as protective coats, molecular sieves and ion traps, as structures involved in surface recognition and cell adhesion, and as antifouling layers. S-layers are also identified to contribute to virulence when present as a structural component of pathogens. In Archaea, most of which possess S-layers as exclusive wall component, they are involved in determining cell shape and cell division. Studies on structure, chemistry, genetics, assembly, function, and evolutionary relationship of S-layers revealed considerable application potential in (nano)biotechnology, biomimetics, biomedicine, and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe B. Sleytr
- Institute of BiophysicsDepartment of NanobiotechnologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Bernhard Schuster
- Institute of Synthetic BiologyDepartment of NanobiotechnologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Eva‐Maria Egelseer
- Institute of BiophysicsDepartment of NanobiotechnologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Dietmar Pum
- Institute of BiophysicsDepartment of NanobiotechnologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
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10
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11
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Pum D, Toca-Herrera JL, Sleytr UB. S-layer protein self-assembly. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:2484-501. [PMID: 23354479 PMCID: PMC3587997 DOI: 10.3390/ijms14022484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Crystalline S(urface)-layers are the most commonly observed cell surface structures in prokaryotic organisms (bacteria and archaea). S-layers are highly porous protein meshworks with unit cell sizes in the range of 3 to 30 nm, and thicknesses of ~10 nm. One of the key features of S-layer proteins is their intrinsic capability to form self-assembled mono- or double layers in solution, and at interfaces. Basic research on S-layer proteins laid foundation to make use of the unique self-assembly properties of native and, in particular, genetically functionalized S-layer protein lattices, in a broad range of applications in the life and non-life sciences. This contribution briefly summarizes the knowledge about structure, genetics, chemistry, morphogenesis, and function of S-layer proteins and pays particular attention to the self-assembly in solution, and at differently functionalized solid supports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Pum
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute for Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Muthgasse 11, Vienna 1190, Austria; E-Mails: (J.L.T.-H); (U.B.S.)
| | - Jose Luis Toca-Herrera
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute for Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Muthgasse 11, Vienna 1190, Austria; E-Mails: (J.L.T.-H); (U.B.S.)
| | - Uwe B. Sleytr
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute for Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Muthgasse 11, Vienna 1190, Austria; E-Mails: (J.L.T.-H); (U.B.S.)
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12
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Abstract
Nanosciences are distinguished by the cross-fertilization of biology, chemistry, material sciences, and solid-state physics and hence open up a great variety of new opportunities for innovation. The technological utilization of self-assembly systems, wherein molecules spontaneously associate under equilibrium conditions into reproducible supramolecular aggregates, is one key challenge in nanosciences for life and nonlife science applications. The attractiveness of such processes is due to their ability to build uniform, ultrasmall functional units and the possibility to exploit such structures at meso- and macroscopic scale very frequently by newly developed techniques and methods. By the utilization of crystalline bacterial cell-surface proteins (S-layer proteins) innovative approaches for the assembly of supramolecular structures and devices with dimensions of a few to tens of nanometers have been developed. S-layers have proven to be particularly suited as building blocks in a molecular construction kit involving all major classes of biological molecules. The controlled immobilization of biomolecules in an ordered fashion on solid substrates and their controlled confinement in definite areas of nanometer dimensions are key requirements for many applications including the development of bioanalytical sensors, biochips, molecular electronics, biocompatible surfaces, and signal processing between functional membranes, cells, and integrated circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Schuster
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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13
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Horejs C, Mitra MK, Pum D, Sleytr UB, Muthukumar M. Monte Carlo study of the molecular mechanisms of surface-layer protein self-assembly. J Chem Phys 2011; 134:125103. [PMID: 21456703 DOI: 10.1063/1.3565457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms guiding the self-assembly of proteins into functional or pathogenic large-scale structures can be only understood by studying the correlation between the structural details of the monomer and the eventual mesoscopic morphologies. Among the myriad structural details of protein monomers and their manifestations in the self-assembled morphologies, we seek to identify the most crucial set of structural features necessary for the spontaneous selection of desired morphologies. Using a combination of the structural information and a Monte Carlo method with a coarse-grained model, we have studied the functional protein self-assembly into S(surface)-layers, which constitute the crystallized outer most cell envelope of a great variety of bacterial cells. We discover that only few and mainly hydrophobic amino acids, located on the surface of the monomer, are responsible for the formation of a highly ordered anisotropic protein lattice. The coarse-grained model presented here reproduces accurately many experimentally observed features including the pore formation, chemical description of the pore structure, location of specific amino acid residues at the protein-protein interfaces, and surface accessibility of specific amino acid residues. In addition to elucidating the molecular mechanisms and explaining experimental findings in the S-layer assembly, the present work offers a tool, which is chemical enough to capture details of primary sequences and coarse-grained enough to explore morphological structures with thousands of protein monomers, to promulgate design rules for spontaneous formation of specific protein assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Horejs
- Department for Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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14
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Knoll W, Naumann R, Friedrich M, Robertson JWF, Lösche M, Heinrich F, McGillivray DJ, Schuster B, Gufler PC, Pum D, Sleytr UB. Solid supported lipid membranes: new concepts for the biomimetic functionalization of solid surfaces. Biointerphases 2008; 3:FA125. [PMID: 20408662 PMCID: PMC2876326 DOI: 10.1116/1.2913612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface-layer (S-layer) supported lipid membranes on solid substrates are interfacial architectures mimicking the supramolecular principle of cell envelopes which have been optimized for billions of years of evolution in most extreme habitats. The authors implement this biological construction principle in a variety of layered supramolecular architectures consisting of a stabilizing protein monolayer and a functional phospholipid bilayer for the design and development of new types of solid-supported biomimetic membranes with a considerably extended stability and lifetime-compared to existing platforms-as required for novel types of bioanalytical sensors. First, Langmuir monolayers of lipids at the water/air interface are used as test beds for the characterization of different types of molecules which all interact with the lipid layers in various ways and, hence, are relevant for the control of the structure, stability, and function of supported membranes. As an example, the interaction of S-layer proteins from the bulk phase with a monolayer of a phospholipid synthetically conjugated with a secondary cell wall polymer (SCWP) was studied as a function of the packing density of the lipids in the monolayer. Furthermore, SCWPs were used as a new molecular construction element. The exploitation of a specific lectin-type bond between the N-terminal part of selected S-layer proteins and a variety of glycans allowed for the buildup of supramolecular assemblies and thus functional membranes with a further increased stability. Next, S-layer proteins were self-assembled and characterized by the surface-sensitive techniques, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. The substrates were either planar gold or silicon dioxide sensor surfaces. The assembly of S-layer proteins from solution to solid substrates could nicely be followed in-situ and in real time. As a next step toward S-layer supported bilayer membranes, the authors characterized various architectures based on lipid molecules that were modified by a flexible spacer separating the amphiphiles from the anchor group that allows for a covalent coupling of the lipid to a solid support, e.g., using thiols for Au substrates. Impedance spectroscopy confirmed the excellent charge barrier properties of these constructs with a high electrical resistance. Structural details of various types of these tethered bimolecular lipid membranes were studied by using neutron reflectometry. Finally, first attempts are reported to develop a code based on a SPICE network analysis program which is suitable for the quantitative analysis of the transient and steady-state currents passing through these membranes upon the application of a potential gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Knoll
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55021 Mainz, Germany.
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15
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Abstract
The present review focuses on a unique bio-molecular construction kit based on surface-layer (S-layer) proteins as building blocks and patterning elements, but also major classes of biological molecules such as lipids, membrane-active peptides and membrane proteins, and glycans for the design of functional supported lipid membranes. The biomimetic approach copying the supramolecular building principle of most archaeal cell envelopes merely composed of a plasma membrane and a closely associated S-layer lattice has resulted in robust and fluid lipid membranes. Most importantly, S-layer supported lipid membranes spanning an aperture or generated on solid and porous substrates constitute highly interesting model membranes for the reconstitution of responsive transmembrane proteins and membrane-active peptides. This is of particular challenge as one-third of all proteins are membrane proteins such as pore-forming proteins, ion channels, and receptors. S-layer supported lipid membranes are seen as one of the most innovative strategies in membrane protein-based nanobiotechnology with potential applications that range from pharmaceutical (high-throughput) drug screening over lipid chips to the detection of biological warfare agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Schuster
- Center for NanoBiotechnology, BOKU--University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
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16
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Sleytr U, Messner P, Pum D, Sára M. Crystalline bacterial cell surface layers: general principles and application potential. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1993.tb04339.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Schuster B, Gufler PC, Pum D, Sleytr UB. S-layer proteins as supporting scaffoldings for functional lipid membranes. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2005; 3:16-21. [PMID: 15382638 DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2004.824267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A great challenge is the coupling of very sensitive microelectronic devices to wet biological systems in the generation of biomimetic sensors. Lipid membranes on solid supports (electrodes or semiconductors) may become the matrix of future bioelectronic devices probing and controlling biomolecular processes for scientific and technical applications. A sufficient electrical isolation between the coupling region and the surrounding electrolyte is mandatory. An attached lipid membrane with integral natural or designed proteins may be the material of choice if the biological components are kept in a proper environment. To retain the fluidity and stability of the lipid membrane and to provide an ion reservoir and space for bulky integral proteins, a separating layer composed of crystalline arrays of monomolecular proteinaceous subunits, termed S-layer, can be self-assembled on metal or semiconductor surfaces. In this way S-layer-supported lipid membranes are biomimetic structures mimicking the supramolecular principle of archeal cell envelopes. These composite architectures may ascend toward exciting new key devices, particularly in fields of membrane protein-based biosensors or lab-on-a-chip technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Schuster
- Center for NanoBiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna 1180, Austria.
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18
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Claus H, Akça E, Debaerdemaeker T, Evrard C, Declercq JP, König H. Primary structure of selected archaeal mesophilic and extremely thermophilic outer surface layer proteins. Syst Appl Microbiol 2002; 25:3-12. [PMID: 12086185 DOI: 10.1078/0723-2020-00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The archaea are recognized as a separate third domain of life together with the bacteria and eucarya. The archaea include the methanogens, extreme halophiles, thermoplasmas, sulfate reducers and sulfur metabolizing thermophiles, which thrive in different habitats such as anaerobic niches, salt lakes, and marine hydrothermals systems and continental solfataras. Many of these habitats represent extreme environments in respect to temperature, osmotic pressure and pH-values and remind on the conditions of the early earth. The cell envelope structures were one of the first biochemical characteristics of archaea studied in detail. The most common archaeal cell envelope is composed of a single crystalline protein or glycoprotein surface layer (S-layer), which is associated with the outside of the cytoplasmic membrane. The S-layers are directly exposed to the extreme environment and can not be stabilized by cellular components. Therefore, from comparative studies of mesophilic and extremely thermophilic S-layer proteins hints can be obtained about the molecular mechanisms of protein stabilization at high temperatures. First crystallization experiments of surface layer proteins under microgravity conditions were successful. Here, we report on the biochemical features of selected mesophilic and extremely archaeal S-layer (glyco-) proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Claus
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Weinforschung, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
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Anderson KL. Cationized ferritin as a stain for electron microscopic observation of bacterial ultrastructure. Biotech Histochem 1998; 73:278-88. [PMID: 9829420 DOI: 10.3109/10520299809141121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The electron microscope has proven very effective for visualization of various morphological features of bacteria. Cationized ferritin (CF) is a stain commonly used to increase the electron microscopic resolution of bacterial cells, thereby enabling detailed analysis of their morphological and structural features. CF has been useful for microscopic examination of the bacterial capsule, cell wall, S-layer, and various unique morphological structures. In addition, as a cation, CF binds only to negatively charged molecules. Thus, CF has been used to identify sites of anionic charge on the bacterial cell surface, which has led to insights concerning the formation and turnover of bacterial peptidoglycan and the S-layer proteins. As a cation, however, CF may also interact with certain cellular components, causing erroneous interpretation of microscopic results. This review provides a discussion of both the strengths and weaknesses of CF when used as a stain for electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- K L Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State 39762, USA.
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20
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Bahl H, Scholz H, Bayan N, Chami M, Leblon G, Gulik-Krzywicki T, Shechter E, Fouet A, Mesnage S, Tosi-Couture E, Gounon P, Mock M, Conway de Macario E, Macario AJ, Fernández-Herrero LA, Olabarría G, Berenguer J, Blaser MJ, Kuen B, Lubitz W, Sára M, Pouwels PH, Kolen CP, Boot HJ, Resch S. Molecular biology of S-layers. FEMS Microbiol Rev 1997; 20:47-98. [PMID: 9276928 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.1997.tb00304.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this chapter we report on the molecular biology of crystalline surface layers of different bacterial groups. The limited information indicates that there are many variations on a common theme. Sequence variety, antigenic diversity, gene expression, rearrangements, influence of environmental factors and applied aspects are addressed. There is considerable variety in the S-layer composition, which was elucidated by sequence analysis of the corresponding genes. In Corynebacterium glutamicum one major cell wall protein is responsible for the formation of a highly ordered, hexagonal array. In contrast, two abundant surface proteins from the S-layer of Bacillus anthracis. Each protein possesses three S-layer homology motifs and one protein could be a virulence factor. The antigenic diversity and ABC transporters are important features, which have been studied in methanogenic archaea. The expression of the S-layer components is controlled by three genes in the case of Thermus thermophilus. One has repressor activity on the S-layer gene promoter, the second codes for the S-layer protein. The rearrangement by reciprocal recombination was investigated in Campylobacter fetus. 7-8 S-layer proteins with a high degree of homology at the 5' and 3' ends were found. Environmental changes influence the surface properties of Bacillus stearothermophilus. Depending on oxygen supply, this species produces different S-layer proteins. Finally, the molecular bases for some applications are discussed. Recombinant S-layer fusion proteins have been designed for biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bahl
- Universität Rostock, Germany
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21
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Jahn-Schmid B, Graninger M, Glozik M, Küpcü S, Ebner C, Unger FM, Sleytr UB, Messner P. Immunoreactivity of allergen (Bet v 1) conjugated to crystalline bacterial cell surface layers (S-layers). IMMUNOTECHNOLOGY : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 1996; 2:103-13. [PMID: 9373319 DOI: 10.1016/1380-2933(96)00041-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Crystalline cell surface layers (S-layers) from Gram-positive eubacteria had been demonstrated as carrier/adjuvants for chemically synthesized tumor-associated oligosaccharide haptens and capsular polysaccharide antigens of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. OBJECTIVES The applicability of S-layers as vaccine carrier for treatment of Type I allergy was investigated. STUDY DESIGN Native or cross-linked S-layer self-assembly products and cell wall preparations from Bacillus sphaericus CCM 2177 and Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus L111-69 and L110-69 were used for immobilization of recombinant major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Depending on the carrier used, amounts of approximately 20-40 micrograms allergen per mg conjugate could be immobilized. By application of L-glutamic acid dimethyl ester as a spacer, this value could be increased approximately 10-fold. The functionality of the rBet v 1-conjugates was assessed in immunological systems. (i) The presence of intact B-cell epitopes was demonstrated in inhibition experiments using human Bet v 1-specific IgE. (ii) The rBet v 1-S-layer conjugates were immunogenic in mice. (iii) The proliferation of rBet v 1-specific T-cell clones suggested that the peptides created by processing of immobilized Bet v 1 were similar to those derived from natural allergen. (iv) Stimulation of human allergen-specific TH2 lymphocytes with S-layer-conjugated Bet v 1 led to a modulation of the cytokine production pattern from TH2 to TH0/TH1. This study indicates that S-layers may be suitable carriers for few immunotherapeutical vaccines for Type 1 hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Jahn-Schmid
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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22
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Sára M, Kuen B, Mayer HF, Mandl F, Schuster KC, Sleytr UB. Dynamics in oxygen-induced changes in S-layer protein synthesis from Bacillus stearothermophilus PV72 and the S-layer-deficient variant T5 in continuous culture and studies of the cell wall composition. J Bacteriol 1996; 178:2108-17. [PMID: 8606191 PMCID: PMC177912 DOI: 10.1128/jb.178.7.2108-2117.1996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Stable synthesis of the hexagonally ordered (p6) S-layer protein from the wild-type strain of Bacillus stearothermophilus PV72 could be achieved in continuous culture on complex medium only under oxygen-limited conditions when glucose was used as the sole carbon source. Depending on the adaptation of the wild-type strain to low oxygen supply, the dynamics in oxygen-induced changes in S-layer protein synthesis was different when the rate of aeration was increased to a level that allowed dissimilation of amino acids. If oxygen supply was increased at the beginning of continuous culture, synthesis of the p6 S-layer protein from the wild-type strain (encoded by the sbsA gene) was immediately stopped and replaced by that of a new type of S-layer protein (encoded by the sbsB gene) which assembled into an oblique (p2) lattice. In cells adapted to a prolonged low oxygen supply, first, low-level p2 S-layer protein synthesis and second, synchronous synthesis of comparable amounts of both types of S-layer proteins could be induced by stepwise increasing the rate of aeration. The time course of changes in S-layer protein synthesis was followed up by immunogold labelling of whole cells. Synthesis of the p2 S-layer protein could also be induced in the p6-deficient variant T5. Hybridization data obtained by applying the radiolabelled N-terminal and C-terminal sbsA fragments and the N-terminal sbsB fragment to the genomic DNA of all the three organisms indicated that changes in S-layer protein synthesis were accompanied by chromosomal rearrangement. Chemical analysis of peptidoglycan-containing sacculi and extraction and recrystallization experiments revealed that at least for the wild-type strain, a cell wall polymer consisting of N-acetylglucosamine and glucose is responsible for binding of the p6 S-layer protein to the rigid cell wall layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sára
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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23
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Sára M, Sleytr UB. Biotechnology and biomimetic with crystalline bacterial cell surface layers (S-layers). Micron 1996; 27:141-56. [PMID: 8858868 DOI: 10.1016/0968-4328(96)80628-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Crystalline bacterial cell surface layers (S-layers) are the outermost cell envelope component of many eubacteria and archaeobacteria. S-layers are composed of a single protein or glycoprotein species and exhibit oblique, square or hexagonal lattice symmetry. Pores passing through these monomolecular arrays show identical size and morphology, and functional groups are aligned in well-defined positions and orientations. Due to these unique features, S-layers have broad application potential in biotechnology including functioning as biomimetic membranes. Presently, S-layers are used (i) for the production of isoporous ultrafiltration membranes with very well defined molecular sieving and adsorption properties, (ii) as matrices for the controlled immobilization of biologically active macromolecules (e.g., enzymes, antibodies, ligands) as required for biosensors, affinity membranes and affinity microparticles as well as for solid phase assays, (iii) as stabilizing structures for Langmuir-Blodgett films and liposomes and (iv) as carriers and adjuvants for weakly immunogenic antigens and haptens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sára
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Univeristät für Bodenkultur, Wien, Austria
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24
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Neubauer A, Pum D, Sleytr UB. An Amperometric Glucose Sensor Based on Isoporous Crystalline Protein Membranes as Immobilization Matrix. ANAL LETT 1993. [DOI: 10.1080/00032719308017417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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25
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Pum D, Weinhandl M, Hödl C, Sleytr UB. Large-scale recrystallization of the S-layer of Bacillus coagulans E38-66 at the air/water interface and on lipid films. J Bacteriol 1993; 175:2762-6. [PMID: 8478338 PMCID: PMC204582 DOI: 10.1128/jb.175.9.2762-2766.1993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
S-layer protein isolated from Bacillus coagulans E38-66 could be recrystallized into large-scale coherent monolayers at an air/water interface and on phospholipid films spread on a Langmuir-Blodgett trough. Because of the asymmetry in the physiochemical surface properties of the S-layer protein, the subunits were associated with their more hydrophobic outer face with the air/water interface and oriented with their negatively charged inner face to the zwitterionic head groups of the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) monolayer films. The dynamic crystal growth at both types of interfaces was first initiated at several distant nucleation points. The individual monocrystalline areas grew isotropically in all directions until the front edge of neighboring crystals was met. The recrystallized S-layer protein and the S-layer-DPPE layer could be chemically cross-linked from the subphase with glutaraldehyde.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Pum
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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26
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Sára M, Sleytr UB. Relevance of charged groups for the integrity of the S-layer from Bacillus coagulans E38-66 and for molecular interactions. J Bacteriol 1993; 175:2248-54. [PMID: 8468285 PMCID: PMC204511 DOI: 10.1128/jb.175.8.2248-2254.1993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, the importance of charged amino and carboxyl groups for the integrity of the cell surface layer (S-layer) lattice from Bacillus coagulans E38-66 and for the self-assembly of the isolated subunits was investigated. Amidination of the free amino groups which preserved their positive net charge had no influence on both. On the other hand, acetylation and succinylation, which converted the amino groups into either neutral or negatively charged groups, and amidation of carboxyl groups were accompanied by the disintegration or at least by the loss of the regular structure of the S-layer lattice. Treatment of S-layer monolayers with the zero-length cross-linker carbodiimide led to the introduction of peptide bonds between activated carboxyl groups and amino groups from adjacent subunits. This clearly indicated that in the native S-layer lattice the charged groups are located closely enough for direct electrostatic interactions. Under disrupting conditions in which the S-layer polypeptide chains were unfolded, 58% of the Asx and Glx residues could be amidated, indicating that they occur in the free carboxylic acid form. As derived from chemical modification of monolayer self-assembly products, about 90% of the lysine and 70% of the aspartic and glutamic acid residues are aligned on the surface of the S-layer protein domains. This corresponded to 45 amino groups and to 63 carboxyl groups per S-layer subunit. Labelling experiments with macromolecules with different sizes and charges and adsorption studies with ion-exchange particles revealed a surplus of free carboxyl groups on the inner and on the outer faces of the S-layer lattice. Since the carboxyl groups on the outer S-layer face were accessible only for protein molecules significantly smaller then the S-layer protomers or for positively charged, thin polymer chains extending from the surface of ion-exchange beads, the negatively charged sites must be located within indentations of the corrugated S-layer protein network. This was in contrast to the carboxyl groups on the inner S-layer face, which were found to be exposed on elevations of the S-layer protein domains (D. Pum, M. Sára, and U.B. Sleytr, J. Bacteriol. 171:5296-5303, 1989).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sára
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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27
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Sára M, Sleytr UB. Introduction of sulphhydryl groups into the crystalline bacterial cell surface layer protein from Bacillus stearothermophilus PV72 and its application as an immobilization matrix. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 1993; 38:147-51. [PMID: 1369138 DOI: 10.1007/bf00174459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The crystalline cell surface layer (S-layer) from Bacillus stearothermophilus PV72 was used as a matrix for reversible immobilization of beta-D-galactosidase via disulphide bonds. In order to obtain an immobilization matrix stable towards acid, alkali and reducing agents such as dithiothreitol (DTT), the S-layer subunits were first cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. This was done in a way whereby 75% of the free amino groups remained unmodified, and then could be completely converted into sulphhydryl groups upon reaction with the monofunctional imidoester iminothiolane. After activation of the sulphhydryl groups with 2,2'-dipyridyldisulphide, 550 micrograms beta-D-galactosidase could be immobilized per milligram of S-layer protein, which corresponds to one beta-D-galactosidase molecule [relative molecular mass (M(r)), 116,000] per two S-layer subunits (M(r), 130,000). At least 90% of the sulphhydryl groups from the S-layer protein could be regenerated for further activation by cleaving the disulphide bonds with DTT. In comparative studies beta-D-galactosidase was linked to carbodiimide-activated carboxyl groups of the S-layer protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sára
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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28
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Two-Dimensional (Glyco)protein Crystals as Patterning Elements and Immobilisation Matrices for the Development of Biosensors. IMMOBILISED MACROMOLECULES: APPLICATION POTENTIALS 1993. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-3479-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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29
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Sára M, Küpcü S, Weiner C, Weigert S, Sleytr UB. Crystalline Protein Layers as Isoporous Molecular Sieves and Immobilisation and Affinity Matrices. IMMOBILISED MACROMOLECULES: APPLICATION POTENTIALS 1993. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-3479-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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30
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Breitwieser A, Gruber K, Sleytr UB. Evidence for an S-layer protein pool in the peptidoglycan of Bacillus stearothermophilus. J Bacteriol 1992; 174:8008-15. [PMID: 1459950 PMCID: PMC207538 DOI: 10.1128/jb.174.24.8008-8015.1992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intact cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus PV72 revealed, after conventional thin-sectioning procedures, the typical cell wall profile of S-layer-carrying gram-positive eubacteria consisting of a ca. 10-nm-thick peptidoglycan-containing layer and a ca. 10-nm-thick S layer. Cell wall preparations obtained by breaking the cells and removing the cytoplasmic membrane by treatment with Triton X-100 revealed a triple-layer structure, with an additional S layer on the inner surface of the peptidoglycan. This profile is characteristic for cell wall preparations of many S-layer-carrying gram-positive eubacteria. Among several variants of strain PV72 obtained upon single colony isolation, we investigated the variant PV72 86-I, which does not exhibit an inner S layer on isolated cell walls but instead possesses a profile identical to that observed for intact cells. In the course of a controlled mild autolysis of isolated cell walls, S-layer subunits were released from the peptidoglycan of the variant and assembled into an additional S layer on the inner surface of the walls, leading to a three-layer cell wall profile as observed for cell wall preparations of the parent strain. In comparison to conventionally processed bacteria, freeze-substituted cells of strain PV72 and the variant strain revealed in thin sections a ca. 18-nm-wide electron-dense peptidoglycan-containing layer closely associated with the S layer. The demonstration of a pool of S-layer subunits in such a thin peptidoglycan layer in an amount at least sufficient for generating one coherent lattice on the cell surface indicated that the subunits must have occupied much of the free space in the wall fabric of both the parent strain and the variant. It can even be speculated that the rate of synthesis and translation of the S-layer protein is influenced by the packing density of the S-layer subunits in the periplasm of the cell wall delineated by the outer S layer and the cytoplasmic membrane. Our data indicate that the matrix of the rigid wall layer inhibits the assembly of the S-layer subunits which are in transit to the outside.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Breitwieser
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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31
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Garduño RA, Phipps BM, Baumeister W, Kay WW. Novel structural patterns in divalent cation-depleted surface layers of Aeromonas salmonicida. J Struct Biol 1992; 109:184-95. [PMID: 1296752 DOI: 10.1016/1047-8477(92)90030-e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida possesses a regular surface layer (or A-layer) which is an important virulence determinant. The A-protein, a single bilobed protein organized in a p4 lattice of M4C4 arrangement with two morphological domains, comprises this layer. The role of divalent cations in the A-layer structure was studied to better understand A-protein subunit interactions affecting structural flexibility and function. Divalent cation bridges were found to be involved in the integrity of the A-layer. Two novel A-layer patterns were formed as the result of growth under calcium limitation or by chelation of divalent cations with EDTA or EGTA, thereby constituting the first reported case of formation of distinct regular arrays upon divalent cation depletion. Furthermore, under these conditions A-protein was sometimes released as tetrameric units, rather than in monomeric form. The formation of the two novel patterns is best explained by a sequence of structural rearrangements, following disruption of only one of the two A-layer morphological units, that is, those held together by divalent cation bridges. The free tetrameric units represent four A-protein subunits clustered around the unaffected four-fold axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Garduño
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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32
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Sára M, Pum D, Sleytr UB. Permeability and charge-dependent adsorption properties of the S-layer lattice from Bacillus coagulans E38-66. J Bacteriol 1992; 174:3487-93. [PMID: 1317378 PMCID: PMC206032 DOI: 10.1128/jb.174.11.3487-3493.1992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the permeability properties of the oblique S-layer lattice from Bacillus coagulans E38-66 after depositing cell wall fragments on a microfiltration membrane, cross-linking the S-layer protein with glutaraldehyde, and degrading the peptidoglycan with lysozyme. Comparative permeability studies on such multilayered S-layer membranes and suspended S-layer vesicles from thermophilic members of the family Bacillaceae with use of the space technique (M. Sára and U. B. Sleytr, J. Bacteriol. 169:4092-4098, 1987) revealed identical molecular exclusion limits (M. Sára and U. B. Sleytr, J. Membr. Sci. 33:27-49, 1987). Examination of the S-layer lattice from B. coagulans E38-66 with the S-layer membrane technique revealed unhindered passage for molecules up to the size of myoglobin (M(r) 17,000). The molecular dimensions of this protein (2.8 by 3.2 by 4.5 nm) correspond approximately to the size of the ovoid-shaped pore previously shown by high-resolution electron microscopy of negatively stained S-layer self-assembly products (D. Pum, M. Sára, and U. B. Sleytr, J. Bacteriol. 171:5296-5303, 1989). Chemical modification of the S-layer protein and comparative labeling, adsorption, and permeability studies clearly demonstrated that (i) in the native state, free amino and carboxyl groups are present on the outer S-layer face and in the interior of the pores and (ii) electrostatic interactions between these groups prevent unspecific adsorption of the S-layer in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sára
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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33
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Affiliation(s)
- P Messner
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, Austria
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34
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Abstract
Since bacteria are so small, microscopy has traditionally been used to study them as individual cells. To this end, electron microscopy has been a most powerful tool for studying bacterial surfaces; the viewing of macromolecular arrangements of some surfaces is now possible. This review compares older conventional electron-microscopic methods with new cryotechniques currently available and the results each has produced. Emphasis is not placed on the methodology but, rather, on the importance of the results in terms of our perception of the makeup and function of bacterial surfaces and their interaction with the surrounding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Beveridge
- Department of Microbiology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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35
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Gruber K, Sleytr UB. Influence of an S-layer on surface properties of Bacillus stearothermophilus. Arch Microbiol 1991; 156:181-5. [PMID: 1953302 DOI: 10.1007/bf00249112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Various aspects of surface properties of the S-layer-carrying Bacillus stearothermophilus PV72 and of an S-layer-deficient mutant (strain PV72/T5) have been tested by adsorption assays on solid surfaces, electrostatic interaction chromatography and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The adsorption assays have shown that cell adhesion of the S-layer-carrying strain was less influenced by environmental changes than it was with the S-layer-deficient mutant. Electrostatic interaction chromatography indicated that both strains have positively and negatively charged groups exposed on the cell surface but the S-layer-carrying strain reveals more positively charged groups than does the S-layer-deficient mutant. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography showed that both strains have a hydrophilic surface but that the hydrophilic properties are more pronounced with the strain lacking an S-layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Gruber
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, Austria
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36
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Takumi K, Susami Y, Takeoka A, Oka T, Koga T. S layer protein of Clostridium tetani: purification and properties. Microbiol Immunol 1991; 35:569-75. [PMID: 1784258 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1991.tb01587.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
S layer protein of Clostridium tetani strain AO 174, a nontoxigenic derivative of strain Harvard A 47, was prepared from the cell walls by 4 M urea extraction and purified by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography followed by a combination of anion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase chromatography using an HPLC system. The molecular weight of the S layer protein was estimated to be 140 kilodaltons (kDa) by SDS-PAGE. The amino acid composition of the 140 kDa protein was very similar to those of S layer proteins from the other bacterial species: it was rich in acidic amino acid and lacked cysteine. Also, the protein was unique in its extremely low content of proline (0.02 to 0.03 mol%). Multiple isoelectric forms ranging from pH 4.0 to 4.5 were observed in the purified preparation. Immunodiffusion analysis showed that the 140 kDa protein was a common antigen to the three strains of C. tetani tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Takumi
- Department of Food Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima
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37
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Messner P, Bock K, Christian R, Schulz G, Sleytr UB. Characterization of the surface layer glycoprotein of Clostridium symbiosum HB25. J Bacteriol 1990; 172:2576-83. [PMID: 2332405 PMCID: PMC208900 DOI: 10.1128/jb.172.5.2576-2583.1990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell surface of Clostridium symbiosum HB25 is covered by a squarely arranged surface layer (S-layer) glycoprotein. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-soluble whole-cell extract showed the presence of several high-molecular-weight protein bands in a narrow range (approximate Mr, 140,000) which, upon periodic acid-Schiff staining, gave a positive reaction. After proteolytic degradation of the purified S-layer glycoprotein, a single glycopeptide fraction was obtained by gel permeation chromatography. Hydrolysis, treatment with aqueous hydrofluoric acid, and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance studies showed that the glycoprotein glycan is a high-molecular-weight polymer (approximate Mr, 15,000) of tetrasaccharide repeating units with the component sugars N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc), and N-acetylbacillosamine (BacNAc; 2-N-acetyl-4-amino-2,4,6-trideoxy glucose) linked by monophosphate diesters. The following structure is proposed: [----6)-alpha-D-ManpNAc-(1----4)-beta-D-GalpNAc-(1----3)-alpha-D-+ ++BacpNAc- (1----4)-alpha-D-GalpNAc-(1----PO3)----]n. The nuclear magnetic resonance data provided evidence for a charge interaction between the free amino group of BacNAc and the phosphate group of adjacent glycan chains. Since polycationic ferritin did not label the cell surface of intact cells, an electrostatic interaction can also be expected in vivo, leading to a charge-neutral outer surface, which is characteristic of all other S layers from members of the family Bacillaceae studied so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Messner
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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Pum D, Sára M, Sleytr UB. Structure, surface charge, and self-assembly of the S-layer lattice from Bacillus coagulans E38-66. J Bacteriol 1989; 171:5296-303. [PMID: 2793825 PMCID: PMC210365 DOI: 10.1128/jb.171.10.5296-5303.1989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In freeze-etched preparations, whole cells from Bacillus coagulans E38-66 exhibited an oblique S-layer lattice (a = 9.4 nm; b = 7.4 nm; gamma = 80 degrees). The three-dimensional structure of the crystalline array was characterized by optical and computer image analysis. The lattice showed two distinctly shaped types of pores. In vitro self-assembly of isolated subunits yielded flat sheets and open-ended cylinders composed of two back-to-back monolayers. Unlike whole cells, in vitro self-assembly products were capable of binding polycationized ferritin (pI, approximately 11). This showed that only the inner S-layer face adhering to the peptidoglycan-containing layer in whole cells was net negatively charged. S-layer monomers and/or oligomers were capable of generating a closed monolayer with oblique symmetry on poly-L-lysine-coated supports. The monolayer had a typical crazy paving appearance, with numerous crystal boundaries. The handedness of the oblique lattice and ability to bind polycationized ferritin revealed that the subunits had bound with the outer, not net negatively charged face to the poly-L-lysine-coated supports. Carbodiimide-activated carboxyl groups on either cell wall fragments or self-assembly products could covalently bind high-molecular-weight nucleophiles such as ferritin. This confirmed the location of negatively charged carboxyl groups on the outermost surface of both S-layer faces. The difference in pH optimum for carbodiimide activation indicated a preponderance of alpha- and beta-carboxyl groups on the inner S-layer face and a preponderance of beta- and gamma-carboxyl groups on the outer S-layer face.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Pum
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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Affiliation(s)
- U B Sleytr
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria
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Sára M, Kalsner I, Sleytr UB. Surface properties from the S-layer of Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum D120-70 and Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum L111-69. Arch Microbiol 1988; 149:527-33. [PMID: 3389971 DOI: 10.1007/bf00446756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Labelling experiments using a positively charged topographical marker for electron microscopy, polycationized ferritin, showed that the S-layers of two closely related clostridia Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum L111-69 and C. thermosaccharolyticum D120-70 do not exhibit a net negative charge, as usually observed for bacterial cell surfaces. Chemical modification of reactive sites confirmed that amino and carboxyl groups are exposed on the S-layer surface of both strains. Amino-specific, bifunctional agents crosslinked both S-layer lattices. Studies with carbodiimides revealed that only the S-layer surface of C. thermohydrosulfuricum L111-69 had amino and carboxyl groups closely enough aligned to permit electrostatic interactions between the constituent protomers. The regular structure of this S-layer lattice was lost upon converting the carboxyl groups into neutral groups by amidation. Disintegration of both S-layer lattices occurred upon N-acetylation or N-succinylation of the free amino groups. Adhesion experiments showed that in neutral and weakly alkaline environment whole cells of C. thermosaccharolyticum D120-70 exhibited a stronger tendency to bind to charged surfaces than whole cells of C. thermohydrosulfuricum L111-69, but showed a lower tendency to bind to hydrophobic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sára
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, Austria
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2 Analysis of Crystalline Bacterial Surface Layers by Freeze-etching, Metal Shadowing, Negative Staining and Ultrathin Sectioning. METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY 1988. [DOI: 10.1016/s0580-9517(08)70046-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
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Abstract
The permeability properties and the exclusion limits of the crystalline surface layers (S layers) of two selected strains of Bacillus stearothermophilus were investigated. Measurements were performed of passive solute uptake into the intracellular space of native or glutaraldehyde-treated sacculi. Native sacculi were prepared from whole cells by extracting the cytoplasmic membrane with Triton X-100 under conditions which preserved the integrity of the S layer and the peptidoglycan-containing layer. The permeability barrier was found to consist of three adjacent layers, namely, the S layer, the peptidoglycan-containing layer, and an incomplete S layer attached to the inner face of the peptidoglycan-containing layer. In glutaraldehyde-treated sacculi the peptidoglycan was digested after stabilizing the S-layer lattice by chemical cross-linking. The solutes selected for the uptake measurements were mannose, proteins, and dextrans of increasing molecular weights. The S layers of both strains allowed free passage for molecules with a molecular weight of up to 30,000 and showed sharp exclusion limits between molecular weights of 30,000 and 45,000, suggesting a limiting pore diameter of about 4.5 nm.
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Messner P, Pum D, Sleytr UB. Characterization of the ultrastructure and the self-assembly of the surface layer of Bacillus stearothermophilus strain NRS 2004/3a. JOURNAL OF ULTRASTRUCTURE AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE RESEARCH 1986; 97:73-88. [PMID: 3453374 DOI: 10.1016/s0889-1605(86)80008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The ultrastructure of the crystalline surface layer (S-layer) of Bacillus stearothermophilus strain NRS 2004/3a has been characterized by electron microscopy supplemented by optical and computer image analysis. The S-layer, composed of glycoprotein subunits, has oblique symmetry, and can be extracted by guanidine hydrochloride. Upon dialysis, this extract produced both flat and cylindrical mono- and double-layer self-assembly products. Optical diffraction analysis of negatively stained preparations showed five types of double-layered assembly products. Computer filtering separated the double-layer complexes and revealed them to be composed of a common monolayer with p2-symmetry (a = 9.4 nm, b = 11.6 nm, and gamma = ca. 78 degrees). By analysis of freeze-dried and heavy metal-shadowed self-assemblies the surface topography and the characteristic "handedness" of the morphological units have been determined. Labeling with polycationic ferritin has shown that each surface of the S-layer possessed a different net charge. The results indicate that S-layers in vivo could prevent autoagglutination of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Messner
- Zentrum für Ultrastrukturforschung, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, Austria
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