Expression of membrane beta-barrel protein in E. coli at low temperatures: Structure of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis OmpF porin inclusion bodies

The recombinant OmpF porin of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis as a model of transmembrane protein of the β-barrel structural family was used to study low growth temperature effect on the structure of the produced inclusion bodies (IBs). This porin showed a very low expression level in E. coli at a growth temperature below optimal 37 °C. The introduction of a N-terminal hexahistidine tag into the mature porin molecule significantly increased the biosynthesis of the protein at low cultivation temperatures. The recombinant His-tagged porin (rOmpF-His) was expressed in E. coli at 30 and 18 °C as inclusion bodies (IB-30 and IB-18). The properties and structural organization of IBs, as well as the structure of rOmpF-His solubilized from the IBs with urea and SDS, were studied using turbidimetry, electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, optical spectroscopy, and amyloid-specific dyes. IB-18, in comparison with IB-30, has a higher solubility in denaturants, suggesting a difference between IBs in the conformation of the associated polypeptide chains. The spectroscopic analysis revealed that rOmpF-His IBs have a high content of secondary structure with a tertiary-structure elements, including a native-like conformation, the proportion of which in IB-18 is higher than in IB-30. Solubilization of the porin from IBs is accompanied by a modification of its secondary structure. The studied IBs also contain amyloid-like structures. The results obtained in this study expand our knowledge of the structural organization of IBs formed by proteins of different structural classes and also have a contribution into the new approaches development of producing functionally active recombinant membrane proteins.

Studies on the Structure and Properties of Membrane Phospholipase A1 Inclusion Bodies Formed at Low Growth Temperatures Using GFP Fusion Strategy

The effect of cultivation temperatures (37, 26, and 18 °C) on the conformational quality of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis phospholipase A₁ (PldA) in inclusion bodies (IBs) was studied using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a folding reporter. GFP was fused to the C-terminus of PldA to form the PldA-GFP chimeric protein. It was found that the maximum level of fluorescence and expression of the chimeric protein is observed in cells grown at 18 °C, while at 37 °C no formation of fluorescently active forms of PldA-GFP occurs. The size, stability in denaturant solutions, and enzymatic and biological activity of PldA-GFP IBs expressed at 18 °C, as well as the secondary structure and arrangement of protein molecules inside the IBs, were studied. Solubilization of the chimeric protein from IBs in urea and SDS is accompanied by its denaturation. The obtained data show the structural heterogeneity of PldA-GFP IBs. It can be assumed that compactly packed, properly folded, proteolytic resistant, and structurally less organized, susceptible to proteolysis polypeptides can coexist in PldA-GFP IBs. The use of GFP as a fusion partner improves the conformational quality of PldA, but negatively affects its enzymatic activity. The PldA-GFP IBs are not toxic to eukaryotic cells and have the property to penetrate neuroblastoma cells. Data presented in the work show that the GFP-marker can be useful not only as target protein folding indicator, but also as a tool for studying the molecular organization of IBs, their morphology, and localization in E. coli, as well as for visualization of IBs interactions with eukaryotic cells.

Inclusion Bodies of Recombinant OmpF Porin from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis: Properties and Structural Characterization

Mature pore-forming OmpF protein from the outer membrane of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was expressed in Escherichia coli in the form of inclusion bodies (IBs) under different cultivation conditions. The properties and structural organization of the IBs as well as the structure of the recombinant porin (rOmpF) solubilized from the IBs were investigated using electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, optical spectroscopy, and specific hydrophobic dyes. The size, shape, and stability of the IBs under denaturing solutions were determined. It was found that the IBs were readily soluble in SDS and more resistant to urea. Dissolution of the IBs in both denaturing agents led to formation of a heterogeneous in size population of oligomeric particles. The IBs contained an intermediate form of the rOmpF with native-like secondary structure and elements of tertiary structure, which was able to penetrate a lipid bilayer and adopt a functionally active conformation. There were no significant differences in the properties and structure between the examined IBs formed at different concentrations of the inducer (IPTG). However, the content of amyloids in the IBs increased with increasing concentration of the inducer. These results contribute to the development of new approaches for the production of active proteins from IBs, as well as biologically and functionally active IBs.

Recombinant Phospholipase A1 of the Outer Membrane of Psychrotrophic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis: Expression, Purification, and Characterization

The pldA gene encoding membrane-bound phospholipase A1 of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. Recombinant phospholipase A1 (rPldA) was isolated from inclusion bodies dissolved in 8 M urea by two-stage chromatography (ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography) as an inactive monomer. The molecular mass of the rPldA determined by MALDI-TOF MS was 31.7 ± 0.4 kDa. The highly purified rPldA was refolded by 10-fold dilution with buffer containing 10 mM Triton X-100 and subsequent incubation at room temperature for 16 h. The refolded rPldA hydrolyzed 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine in the presence of calcium ions. The enzyme exhibited maximal activity at 37°C and nearly 40% of maximal activity at 15°C. The phospholipase A1 was active over a wide range of pH from 4 to 11, exhibiting maximal activity at pH 10. Spatial structure models of the monomer and the dimer of Y. pseudotuberculosis phospholipase A1 were constructed, and functionally important amino acid residues of the enzyme were determined. Structural differences between phospholipases A1 from Y. pseudotuberculosis and E. coli, which can affect the functional activity of the enzyme, were revealed.

Opposite Effects of Lysophosphatidylethanolamines on Conformation of OmpF-like Porin from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Lysophosphatidyletnolamine (LPE) is one of enigmatic lipids of bacteria. It is generated from major membrane lipid - phosphatidylethanolamine at severe changes of the bacterial growth conditions. Accumulation of this phospholipid in cells of Gram-negative enterobacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis results in the enhanced thermostability of OmpF-like porin (YOmpF) from the same bacteria. The respective integral conformational rearrangements may disturb the channel permeability of protein under stress conditions. However, role of fatty acid composition of LPE in this effect remained unclear. Present work demonstrated that the level of unsaturated LPE is 3.5 times higher than saturated one in total LPE of bacterial cells exposed to stress (phenol treatment). Unsaturated 1-oleoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (MOPE) and saturated LPE 1-palmitoyl-2- hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (MPPE) oppositely affect the conformation of YOmpF. MOPE increases the protein thermal stability due to more dense packing of monomers in porin and preserves its trimeric form at elevated temperature, while MPPE weakens the contact between monomers and promotes dissociation of the protein.

[Effect of phenol on Yersinia pseudotuberculosis bacteria cultivated in various media]

AIM

Study of bactericidal effect of phenol on Yersinia pseudotuberculosis produced in various nutrient media.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bacteria were produced in nutrient broth (NB) and NB with glucose (NB+Glu) or galactose (NB+Gal) at 8 degrees C. Effect of phenol on bacteria was evaluated by changes in optical density of suspension and quantity of viable cells, and by staining of cells with ethidium bromide. Lipids were analyzed by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography, gas-liquid- chromatography--mass-spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry; lipopolysaccharides (LPS)--by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS-PAGE).

RESULTS

Survival rate of bacteria is dependent on phenol concentration, biocide treatment time and parameters of cell cultivation. Addition of glucose or galactose into the nutrient medium increases the resistance of Yersinia against phenol. Bacterial cultures are heterogeneous in the resistance against phenol independently of the production parameters. Phenol causes damage in outer bacterial membrane, as evidenced by accumulation of lysophosphatidylethanolamine in the cell, the main product of enzyme activity of membrane-bound phospholipase A, and release into the cultural medium of part of LPS. Treatment by phenol in bactericidal concentration is accompanied by changes in phospholipidic and fatty acid composition of bacterial cell envelope.

CONCLUSION

New data are obtained on environmental factors that contribute to the increase of resistance of bacteria against phenolic biocides.

[Oxygen deficiency increases invasive activity and resistance of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis to heat stress]

AIM

To study effects of oxygen availability and presence of glucose in growth medium on adhesive and invasive properties of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis as well as its resistance to heat stress during sharp rise of temperature from 8 degrees C to 37 degrees C.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was grown on nutrient broth with or without glucose at 8 degrees C and two regimen of aeration--during intensive stirring (180 rpm) and without it. Adhesive and invasive activities were studied on the model of HeLa human cell line. Effects of temperature stress on the bacterial growth were assessed from growth curves plotted on the basis of quantity of colony-forming cells. Morphology of bacterial cells was studied by electron microscopy.

RESULTS

It was shown that cultivation of Y. pseudotuberculosis at 8 degrees C and low aeration increases its adhesive and invasive activity as well resistance to heat stress. Adding of glucose to growth medium decreases invasiveness of Y. pseudotuberculosis irrespective to aeration regimen.

CONCLUSION

Oxygen deficiency during low temperature of growth promotes increasing of pathogenic potential of Y. pseudotuberculosis. Obtained data are useful for solving practical problems associated with development of prevention measures for pseudotuberculosis as well with food processing and storage.

[Thermotropic behavior of lipids and the morphology of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells with a high content of lysophosphatidylethanolamine]

The content of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) in Y. pseudotuberculosis cells was found to increase during their growth at 8 degrees C under stationary conditions (without stirring the medium) and at 37 degrees C when the medium contained glucose. The maximum level of LPE (up to 45% of the total phospholipids) was observed in cells grown at 8 degrees C under stationary conditions. Such cells showed an enhanced growth rate, a reduced yield of biomass, an altered cell morphology, and an increased cell area. The cells contained unsaturated fatty acids, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and total phospholipids in small amounts, whereas neutral lipids and diphosphatidylglycerol were abundant. In addition, the cells contained an amount of methylated PE and phospholipids of unknown structure. Irrespective of whether the temperature for growth was low or high, the LPE-rich cells showed a high value (32-36 degrees C) of the maximum temperature of thermal transition of lipids (Tmax). This finding is indicative of a densification of the membrane lipid matrix of the LPE-rich cells. The suggestion is made that LPE is accumulated in glucose-fermenting bacterial cells in response to stress caused by oxygen deficiency and low pH values of the growth medium. The possible relationship between LPE accumulation and the virulence of Y. pseudotuberculosis cells grown at low temperatures is discussed.

[Influence of glucose and galactose on the morphology and biological properties of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis]

When cultivated in the presence of glucose, irrespective of temperature and the degree of aeration, Y. pseudotuberculosis cells have the ovoid form, constant size and low hydrophobic properties of their surface. Meanwhile the characteristics of the bacteria grown in the medium, carbohydrate-free or with galactose added, essentially depend on the conditions of medium aeration. Under the conditions of intensive stirring at both temperatures these bacteria acquire the coccoid form, not typical for Yersinia, they have a smaller area (approximately 2 times) and more hydrophobic surface in comparison with the cells grown in the presence of glucose. Under stationary conditions the differences between the cells, cultivated in the presence of galactose and glucose, in form and area disappear, but the differences in the hydrophobic properties of the surface are retained. As revealed in this study, the cells grown in the presence of galactose and under the conditions of intensive medium stirring, in contrast to those grown with glucose, have 1.5-fold greater invasive activity, irrespective of aeration conditions, eightfold greater resistance to ampicillin and twofold greater resistance to streptomycin and erythromycin.

The impact of abiotic factors (temperature and glucose) on physicochemical properties of lipids from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

The impact of the availability of glucose in nutrition medium and growth temperature on the composition and thermotropic behavior of lipids from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Enterobacteriaceae) was studied. Y. pseudotuberculosis was grown in nutrition broth (NB) with/without glucose at 8 and 37 degrees C, corresponding to the temperatures of saprophytic and parasitic phases of this bacterium life. The decrease of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and unsaturated fatty acids and the parallel increase of lysophosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol and saturated and cyclopropane acids were the most significant changes with temperature in bacterial phospholipid (PL) classes and fatty acids, respectively. Glucose did not effect the direction of temperature-induced changes in the contents of PLs, fatty acids, however it enhanced (for PLs) or diminished (for fatty acids) intensity of these changes. The thermally induced transitions of lipids were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was revealed that the addition of glucose to NB induced a sharp shift of DSC thermograms to lower temperatures in the "warm" variants of bacteria. The peak maximum temperature (Tmax) of thermal transitions dropped from 50 to 26 degrees C that is the optimal growth temperature of Y. pseudotuberculosis. Tmax of total lipids of the cells grown at 8 degrees C without glucose in NB was equal to growth temperature that corresponded to the classical mechanism of homeoviscous adaptation of bacteria. An addition of glucose to NB at this growth temperature caused the subsequent reduction of Tmax to -8 degrees C, while the temperature ranges of thermograms were not substantially changed. So, not only the temperature growth of bacteria, but also the presence of glucose in NB can modify the physical state of lipids from Y. pseudotuberculosis. In this case, both factors affect additively. It is suggested that glucose influences some membrane-associated proteins and then the fluidity of lipid matrix through temperature-inducible genes.

Glucose as a growth medium factor regulating lipid composition of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Effects of glucose and growth temperature on Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O:1b serovar lipid composition have been studied. These growth parameters were shown to have drastic effects on biosynthetic processes in the pseudotuberculosis bacteria. The temperature effect is the most universal, extending to cell growth and to free lipid and lipopolysaccharide content and composition; it is most conspicuous in the bacteria cultivated on glucose-containing nutrient broth. The effect of glucose is selective, affecting only free lipids and depending on temperature (glucose favors phospholipid (PL) synthesis in the cold and inhibits it at 37 degrees C); the effect of glucose is more evident in the cold. Determination of the contents of individual PL in percent dry bacterial weight indicates that the most obvious effect of glucose and/or growth temperature is on phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) content: on both media and at both temperatures an overall decrease in PL content stems from the inhibition of PE synthesis and is attended by decreasing ratio of neutral to acidic lipids.

[Effect of a culturing method and growth phase on composition of lipopolysaccharides in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis]

The effects of the culturing method (suspension cultures in a liquid nutrient broth or colonies on a solid agarized medium) and the growth phase on the lypopolysaccharide (LPS) composition of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (O:Ib serovar, strain KS 3058) grown in cold (5 degrees C) were studied. The amount the LPS synthesized by cells depended on the bacteria growth phase for both media. The LPS acylation degree was constant, whereas the length of the O-specific polysaccharide chain varied with the culture age and achieved maximum in the stationary growth phase for both media. The bacteria culturing on the nutrient agar stimulated more intensive synthesis of LPS, which were extracted more easily, had longer polysaccharide O-chains, and were more toxic than LPS of the bacteria cultured in the liquid medium. It was proposed that the culturing of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in cold as colonies on the agar surface causes an increase in the bacterial virulence.

Effects of culture method and growth phase on free lipid composition of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

The influence of culture method (free-floating cells in liquid nutrient broth or bacteria attached to agar surface on solid agarized medium of the same formulation) and bacterial age on the composition of free lipids in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (O:Ib serovar, strain KS 3058) grown in the cold (5 degrees C) has been investigated. The specific growth rate of the bacteria on solid medium was about threefold less than that in liquid medium. The qualitative composition of phospholipids and fatty acids only slightly depended on the bacterial culture method. At the same time, the colonially growing cultures contained somewhat more total lipids, they synthesized more phospholipids, in the linear growth phase they contained more lysophosphatides, and they had higher fatty acid unsaturation index and higher pathogenic potential than their "planktonic" counterparts grown in otherwise identical conditions. The bacterial growth phase influenced the amount of 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid and, indirectly, that of lipopolysaccharide. The dynamics of changes in the amount of this acid with bacterial age was opposite in the surface and broth cultures.

Synthesis of lipopolysaccharides in the bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis: effect of the pVM82 plasmid and growth temperature

The composition and structure of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of three isogenic strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serovar O:1b (without plasmids (82-) and with plasmids pVM82 (82+) or p57 (57+)) grown at 8 or 37 degrees C were studied by chemical and immunochemical methods, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. At the lower temperature, the (82-) and (82+) strains synthesized S-form of LPS with similar structure characterized by high acylation and immunochemical activity. On the other hand, LPS of the (82+) strain had shorter carbohydrate chains than LPS of the (82-) strain. The contents of LPS were decreased in cells of the plasmid-free strain grown at the higher temperature. LPS isolated from these cells were of the R-form and had low acylation and immunochemical activity. Total LPS content in cells of the (82+) strain did not significantly depend on the growth temperature. LPS of the warm variant of these bacteria contained a polysaccharide fragment and had moderate immunochemical activity. The cells of the (57+) strain at both growth temperatures had low LPS contents and produced LPS of low acylation without O-specific chains (cold variant) or containing O-polysaccharide with low polymerization degree (bacteria grown at 37 degrees C). The data indicate that in the absence of the plasmids, LPS synthesis is encoded by the chromosomal genes in pseudotuberculosis bacteria. Expression of the genes involved in LPS synthesis is regulated by the temperature of bacterial growth. Genes responsible for temperature-dependent regulation of LPS biosynthesis are located on chromosomal DNA. The pVM82 plasmid includes two gene groups; one group is localized in a 57-mD fragment of DNA and inhibits LPS synthesis, suppressing temperature-dependent regulation of the synthesis. The genes located in a 25-mD fragment of the pVM82 plasmid are de-repressors of the 57-mD fragment, and they restore the ability of pseudotuberculosis bacteria to synthesize relatively long LPS at both growth temperatures.

Interaction of porin from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis with lipopolysaccharides. Effect of ionic strength, pH, and divalent cations on the binding parameters

Interaction of the pore-forming protein (porin) from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis with S- and R-forms of the endogenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was studied at various ionic strengths (20-600 mM NaCl), concentrations of divalent cations (5-100 mM CaCl2, MgCl2), and pH values from 3.0 to 9.0. The interaction of the R-LPS with porin has been shown in all experimental conditions to be in consensus with the model suggesting binding at independent sites of two types. S-LPS binds to interacting sites of relatively high affinity and to independent sites of low affinity at all pH values examined and at low NaCl concentration. The cooperative interaction of the S-LPS and porin is not observed at high ionic strength and in divalent cation-free medium. The number of binding sites of porin and association constants (Ka) for both LPS forms decrease significantly on increasing the solution ionic strength. The Ka values for the R- and S-LPS change oppositely on changing the pH: the Ka value for the R-LPS is maximal (Ka = 6.7 x 10(5) M-1), but that for S-LPS is minimal (Ka = 0.4 x 10(5) M(-1) at pH 5.0-5.5. The number of high-affinity and low-affinity binding sites for both LPS forms is maximal at pH 5.0-5.5. In this case, the numbers of high- and low-affinity sites for R-LPS are 3 and 10, respectively, and those for the S-LPS are 7 and 20, respectively. These data suggest an important role of electrostatic interactions on binding of LPS to porin. The contribution of conformational changes of the ligand and protein and hydrophobic interactions are discussed.

Heterogeneity of lipopolysaccharides from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis: chemical characterization of various molecular types

Prior studies have shown some unusual changes in the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis that occur when the microbe is grown at low temperature; the specific features of these LPSs in comparison with the LPSs from other enteropathogens may be due to unusual thermal adaptation mechanisms. To gain insight into this question, the chemical composition of Y. pseudotuberculosis LPS has been determined. The data indicate that two different S-form LPS species are produced in "cold"-grown bacteria. These have an identical set of bands after SDS-PAGE, similar elution profiles during gel-filtration on a Sephadex G-200 column in the presence of sodium deoxycholate, identical monosaccharide and fatty acid compositions, and similar polymerization degrees, but they have different acylation degree. On the whole, the macromolecularly different LPS populations, varying not only in their smooth or rough nature and hydrophobicity, but also in their localization in the outer membrane and, probably, their interactions with other cell components, are synthesized in "cold"-grown Y. pseudotuberculosis. The biological sense of the heterogeneity and its connection with psychrophilic and pathogenic properties of pseudotuberculosis organisms are discussed.

[Rapid method of isolation of lipid A from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis]

The possibility of preparing the lipid A (LA) from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Serovar IB by the hydrolysis of whole cells instead of the preliminary isolation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was demonstrated. Direct extraction with an organic solvent of the bacterial mass preliminary treated with 10% acetic acid or 1 M HCl was shown to result in a di- (LAAcOH) or monophosphoryl derivative (LAHCl), respectively. These were completely extractable only after treatment with strong hydrolyzing agents. We concluded that two forms of LA (and LPS) exist in the pseudotuberculosis bacterium which differ in the stability of their bonding to the bacterial outer membrane.

Effects of growth temperature and pVM82 plasmid on fatty acids of lipid A from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Effects of cultivation temperature (8 or 37 degrees C) and plasmid profile on the lipid A fatty acids of three isogenic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains (plasmidless (82-) and strains containing pVM82 (82+) or p57 (57+) plasmids) obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of the whole bacterial cells and differentiated from fatty acids of other membrane lipids were investigated. On the basis of the analysis, it is concluded that lipids A of all studied samples contain 3-hydroxytetradecanoic and dodecanoic acids, a part of which exists as the 3-dodecanoyloxytetradecanoic derivative. The effect of temperature appears in the higher contents of ester- and amide-linked 3-acyloxyalkanoic residues in lipid A from the "cold" variants of the bacteria and is determined by chromosomal genes. The plasmid effect is seen as various responses of the isogenic derivatives to change of growth temperature: in cells of strains 82+ and 82- grown in the cold, the share of lipid A fatty acids in the total population of cellular fatty acids is reduced, while in strains with plasmid p57 it is increased. The temperature variants of the 57+ strain differ by the low contents of amide-linked 3-acyloxyalkanoic acids. Finally, lack of plasmid pVM82 in the "warm" variants of the bacteria results in accumulation of glycolipid molecules deprived of dodecanoic acid. Correlation between growth temperature and plasmid profiles, on one hand, and lipid A fatty acid composition and potential pathogenic properties of the Y. pseudotuberculosis, on the other hand, and also possible mechanisms of thermal adaptation of this organism are discussed.

[New method of isolation of O-specific polysaccharide from gram-negative bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis]

Using bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis as an example, two procedures for obtaining the O-specific polysaccharide of endotoxins of gram-negative bacteria were compared: the direct acidic hydrolysis of whole cells and the traditional procedure based on preliminary isolation of the corresponding lipopolysaccharide. Analysis of the resulting polysaccharides showed that the isolation from the bacterial biomass gave a high yield of the polysaccharide; the polysaccharide is not degraded; and judging from the 13C NMR data, its structure was completely identical to that of the corresponding product of lipopolysaccharide hydrolysis. Therefore, this procedure is useful for obtaining O-specific polysaccharides for structural studies.

[Features of a protein component of the endotoxin from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis]

The protein moiety of endotoxin from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was found to consist of two polypeptides with apparent molecular masses 40 and 14.5 kDa (4:1 w/w). The major protein (40 kDa) was isolated from the endotoxin pretreated with sodium deoxy cholate by gel chromatography on the Sephadex G-200 column. Comparative study of this protein and oligomeric form of porin from the outer membrane of Y. pseudotuberculosis using SDS--PAGE, velocity sedimentation, lipid bilayer experiments, chemical and serological analyses revealed their identity. The deoxycholate treatment of the endotoxin does not affect complexes of the major protein and LPS.