scholarly journals FURTHER CHARACTERIZATION OF PARTICULATE FRACTIONS FROM LYSED CELL ENVELOPES OF HALOBACTERIUM HALOBIUM AND ISOLATION OF GAS VACUOLE MEMBRANES

1968 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walther Stoeckenius ◽  
Wolf H. Kunau
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Buoyant Density ◽  
Halobacterium Halobium ◽  
Intracytoplasmic Membranes ◽  
High Charge Density ◽  
Fraction I ◽  
Cell Envelopes ◽  
Gas Vacuole

Lysates of cell envelopes from Halobacterium halobium have been separated into four fractions. A soluble, colorless fraction (I) containing protein, hexosamines, and no lipid is apparently derived from the cell wall. A red fraction (II), containing approximately 40 per cent lipid, 60 per cent protein, and a small amount of hexosamines consists of cell membrane disaggregated into fragments of small size. A third fraction (III) of purple color consists of large membrane sheets and has a very similar composition to II, containing the same classes of lipids but no hexosamines; its buoyant density is 1.18 g/ml. The fourth fraction (IV) has a buoyant density of 1.23 g/ml and contains the "intracytoplasmic membranes." These consist mainly of protein, and no lipid can be extracted with chloroform-methanol. Fractions I and II, which result from disaggregation of cell wall and cell membrane during lysis, contain a high proportion of dicarboxyl amino acids; this is in good agreement with the assumption that disruption of the cell envelope upon removal of salt is due to the high charge density. The intracytoplasmic membranes (IV) represent the gas vacuole membranes in the collapsed state. In a number of mutants that have lost the ability to form gas vacuoles, no vacuole membranes or any structure that could be related to them has been found.

scholarly journals Structure of the cell envelope of Halobacterium halobium.

1976 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
A E Blaurock ◽  
W Stoeckenius ◽  
D Oesterhelt ◽  
G L Scherfhof
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Analytical Ultracentrifugation ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Gel Filtration ◽  
Freeze Fracture ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
Halobacterium Halobium ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Soluble Components

The structure of the isolated cell envelope of Halobacterium halobium is studied by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and biochemical analysis. The envelope consists of the cell membrane and two layers of protein outside. The outer layer of protein shows a regular arrangement of the protein or glycoprotein particles and is therefore identified as the cell wall. Just outside the cell membrane is a 20 A-thick layer of protein. It is a third structure in the envelope, the function of which may be distinct from that of the cell membrane and the cell wall. This inner layer of protein is separated from the outer protein layer by a 65 A-wide space which has an electron density very close to that of the suspending medium, and which can be etched after freeze-fracture. The space is tentatively identified as the periplasmic space. At NaCl concentrations below 2.0 M, both protein layers of the envelope disintegrate. Gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation of the soluble components from the two protein layers reveal two major bands of protein with apparent mol wt of approximately 16,000 and 21,000. At the same time, the cell membrane stays essentially intact as long as the Mg++ concentration is kept at treater than or equal to 20 mM. The cell membrane breaks into small fragments when treated with 0.1 M NaCl and EDTA, or with distilled water, and some soluble proteins, including flavins and cytochromes, are released. The cell membrane apparently has an asymmetric core of the lipid bilayer.

scholarly journals THE CELL ENVELOPES OF TWO EXTREMELY HALOPHILIC BACTERIA

1963 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Brown ◽  
C. D. Shorey
Keyword(s):  
Single Unit ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Halophilic Bacteria ◽  
Layered Compound ◽  
Halobacterium Halobium ◽  
Chemical Analyses ◽  
Unit Membrane ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Whole Cells ◽  
Cell Envelopes

The cell envelope of Halobacterium halobium was seen in thin sections of permanganate-fixed cells to consist of one membrane. This membrane appeared mostly as a unit membrane but in a few preparations it resembled a 5-layered compound membrane. The cell envelope of Halobacterium salinarium at high resolution was always seen as a 5-layered structure different in appearance from the apparent compound membrane of H. halobium. The "envelopes" which were isolated in 12.5 per cent NaCl from each organism were indistinguishable from each other in the electron microscope and comprised, in each case, a single unit membrane with an over-all thickness of about 110 A. Some chemical analyses were made of isolated membranes after freeing them from salt by precipitating and washing with trichloroacetic acid. Such precipitated membranes consisted predominantly of protein, with little carbohydrate and no peptido-aminopolysaccharide (mucopeptide). Sectioned whole cells of H. halobium contained intracellular electron-opaque structures of unknown function.

The outer layer of the cell envelope of Halobacterium halobium

1969 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn L. Marshall ◽  
A. J. Wicken ◽  
A. D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Chemical Analysis ◽  
Outer Layer ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Cell Walls ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Halobacterium Halobium ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Bacterial Cell Walls

The outer layer of the cell envelope of Halobacterium halobium was isolated after suspending the envelope in either 1 M NaCl or 0.02 M MgCl2. Chemical analysis of the isolated, solubilized outer layer showed it to consist of protein or glycoprotein with about 3% RNA. No free or bound lipid was detected. No cytochromes were present in the outer layer. Components commonly associated with bacterial cell walls were absent.Chemical composition together with the marked instability of the outer layer in a slight ion deficit are not consistent with a function of this layer as a "cell wall" of the organism.

scholarly journals Evolutionary Remodeling of the Cell Envelope in Bacteria of the Planctomycetes Phylum

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1528-1548
Author(s):  
Mayank Mahajan ◽  
Christian Seeger ◽  
Benjamin Yee ◽  
Siv G E Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Cell Wall Proteins ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis ◽  
Multiple Copies ◽  
Cellular Phenotypes ◽  
Cell Envelopes

Abstract Bacteria of the Planctomycetes phylum have many unique cellular features, such as extensive membrane invaginations and the ability to import macromolecules. These features raise intriguing questions about the composition of their cell envelopes. In this study, we have used microscopy, phylogenomics, and proteomics to examine the composition and evolution of cell envelope proteins in Tuwongella immobilis and other members of the Planctomycetes. Cryo-electron tomography data indicated a distance of 45 nm between the inner and outer membranes in T. immobilis. Consistent with the wide periplasmic space, our bioinformatics studies showed that the periplasmic segments of outer-membrane proteins in type II secretion systems are extended in bacteria of the order Planctomycetales. Homologs of two highly abundant cysteine-rich cell wall proteins in T. immobilis were identified in all members of the Planctomycetales, whereas genes for peptidoglycan biosynthesis and cell elongation have been lost in many members of this bacterial group. The cell wall proteins contain multiple copies of the YTV motif, which is the only domain that is conserved and unique to the Planctomycetales. Earlier diverging taxa in the Planctomycetes phylum contain genes for peptidoglycan biosynthesis but no homologs to the YTV cell wall proteins. The major remodeling of the cell envelope in the ancestor of the Planctomycetales coincided with the emergence of budding and other unique cellular phenotypes. The results have implications for hypotheses about the process whereby complex cellular features evolve in bacteria.

scholarly journals Streptococcus thermophilus Cell Wall-Anchored Proteinase: Release, Purification, and Biochemical and Genetic Characterization

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 4772-4778 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Dolores Fernandez-Espla ◽  
Peggy Garault ◽  
Véronique Monnet ◽  
Françoise Rul
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Lactic Acid Bacteria ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Serine Proteinase ◽  
Streptococcus Thermophilus ◽  
Alumina Powder ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Cell Envelopes

ABSTRACT Streptococcus thermophilus CNRZ 385 expresses a cell envelope proteinase (PrtS), which is characterized in the present work, both at the biochemical and genetic levels. Since PrtS is resistant to most classical methods of extraction from the cell envelopes, we developed a three-step process based on loosening of the cell wall by cultivation of the cells in the presence of glycine (20 mM), mechanical disruption (with alumina powder), and enzymatic treatment (lysozyme). The pure enzyme is a serine proteinase highly activated by Ca2+ ions. Its activity was optimal at 37°C and pH 7.5 with acetyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-paranitroanilide as substrate. The study of the hydrolysis of the chromogenic and casein substrates indicated that PrtS presented an intermediate specificity between the most divergent types of cell envelope proteinases from lactococci, known as the PI and PIII types. This result was confirmed by the sequence determination of the regions involved in substrate specificity, which were a mix between those of PI and PIII types, and also had unique residues. Sequence analysis of the PrtS encoding gene revealed that PrtS is a member of the subtilase family. It is a multidomain protein which is maturated and tightly anchored to the cell wall via a mechanism involving an LPXTG motif. PrtS bears similarities to cell envelope proteinases from pyogenic streptococci (C5a peptidase and cell surface proteinase) and lactic acid bacteria (PrtP, PrtH, and PrtB). The highest homologies were found with streptococcal proteinases which lack, as PrtS, one domain (the B domain) present in cell envelope proteinases from all other lactic acid bacteria.

scholarly journals Native Cell Wall Organization Shown by Cryo-Electron Microscopy Confirms the Existence of a Periplasmic Space in Staphylococcus aureus

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 1011-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valério R. F. Matias ◽  
Terry J. Beveridge
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
High Density ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Periplasmic Space ◽  
Wall Zone ◽  
Cell Envelopes

ABSTRACT The current perception of the ultrastructure of gram-positive cell envelopes relies mainly on electron microscopy of thin sections and on sample preparation. Freezing of cells into a matrix of amorphous ice (i.e., vitrification) results in optimal specimen preservation and allows the observation of cell envelope boundary layers in their (frozen) hydrated state. In this report, cryo-transmission electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated sections of Staphylococcus aureus D2C was used to examine cell envelope organization. A bipartite wall was positioned above the plasma membrane and consisted of a 16-nm low-density inner wall zone (IWZ), followed by a 19-nm high-density outer wall zone (OWZ). Observation of plasmolyzed cells, which were used to artificially separate the membrane from the wall, showed membrane vesicles within the space associated with the IWZ in native cells and a large gap between the membrane and OWZ, suggesting that the IWZ was devoid of a cross-linked polymeric cell wall network. Isolated wall fragments possessed only one zone of high density, with a constant level of density throughout their thickness, as was previously seen with the OWZs of intact cells. These results strongly indicate that the IWZ represents a periplasmic space, composed mostly of soluble low-density constituents confined between the plasma membrane and OWZ, and that the OWZ represents the peptidoglycan-teichoic acid cell wall network with its associated proteins. Cell wall differentiation was also seen at the septum of dividing cells. Here, two high-density zones were sandwiched between three low-density zones. It appeared that the septum consisted of an extension of the IWZ and OWZ from the outside peripheral wall, plus a low-density middle zone that separated adjacent septal cross walls, which could contribute to cell separation during division.

scholarly journals Association of a Myosin Immunoanalogue with Cell Envelopes ofAspergillus fumigatus Conidia and Its Participation in Swelling and Germination

1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 1238-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Esnault ◽  
Brahim el Moudni ◽  
Jean-Philippe Bouchara ◽  
Dominique Chabasse ◽  
Guy Tronchin
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Immunoelectron Microscopy ◽  
Indirect Immunofluorescence ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Polyclonal Antibodies ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Immunofluorescence Assay ◽  
Atpase Inhibitor ◽  
Butanedione Monoxime ◽  
Cell Envelopes

ABSTRACT A myosin immunoanalogue was identified in conidia ofAspergillus fumigatus by Western blotting, indirect immunofluorescence assay, and gold immunoelectron microscopy with two different antimyosin antibodies. The distribution pattern of this protein was followed during the early stages of germination. A single 180-kDa polypeptide, detected predominantly in a cell envelope extract, was found to cross-react with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies raised against vertebrate muscle myosin. Immunoelectron microscopy permitted precise localization of this polypeptide, indicating that myosin analogue was mainly distributed along the plasma membrane of resting and swollen conidia. In germinating conidia, indirect immunofluorescence microscopy revealed myosin analogue at the periphery of germ tubes, whereas actin appeared as dispersed punctate structures in the cytoplasm that were more concentrated at the site of germ tube emergence. A myosin ATPase inhibitor, butanedione monoxime, greatly reduced swelling and blocked germination. In contrast, when conidia were treated with cytochalasin B, an inhibitor of actin polymerization, swelling was not affected and germination was only partially reduced. Butanedione monoxime-treated conidia showed accumulation of cytoplasmic vesicles and did not achieve cell wall reorganization, unlike swollen conidia. Collectively, these results suggest an essential role for this myosin analogue in the deposition of cell wall components during germination of A. fumigatus conidia and therefore in host tissue colonization.

In vitro assembly of 2-D crystals from partially purified EA1 protein secreted by Bacillus anthracis strain Delta Sterne-1

1994 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 276-277
Author(s):  
Mary Beth Downs ◽  
Wilson Ribot ◽  
Joseph W. Farchaus
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Molecular Sieves ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Supporting Cell ◽  
Surface Layers ◽  
Rabbit Igg ◽  
In Vitro Assembly ◽  
Covalently Linked

Many bacteria possess surface layers (S-layers) that consist of a two-dimensional protein lattice external to the cell envelope. These S-layer arrays are usually composed of a single species of protein or glycoprotein and are not covalently linked to the underlying cell wall. When removed from the cell, S-layer proteins often reassemble into a lattice identical to that found on the cell, even without supporting cell wall fragments. S-layers exist at the interface between the cell and its environment and probably serve as molecular sieves that exclude destructive macromolecules while allowing passage of small nutrients and secreted proteins. Some S-layers are refractory to ingestion by macrophages and, generally, bacteria are more virulent when S-layers are present.When grown in rich medium under aerobic conditions, B. anthracis strain Delta Sterne-1 secretes large amounts of a proteinaceous extractable antigen 1 (EA1) into the growth medium. Immunocytochemistry with rabbit polyclonal anti-EAl antibody made against the secreted protein and gold-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG showed that EAI was localized at the cell surface (fig 1), which suggests its role as an S-layer protein.

scholarly journals The newly synthesized thiazole derivatives as potential antifungal compounds against Candida albicans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Biernasiuk ◽  
Anna Berecka-Rycerz ◽  
Anna Gumieniczek ◽  
Maria Malm ◽  
Krzysztof Z. Łączkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Mode Of Action ◽  
Thiazole Derivatives ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Erythrocyte Lysis ◽  
Low Cytotoxicity ◽  
High Antifungal Activity

Abstract Recently, the occurrence of candidiasis has increased dramatically, especially in immunocompromised patients. Additionally, their treatment is often ineffective due to the resistance of yeasts to antimycotics. Therefore, there is a need to search for new antifungals. A series of nine newly synthesized thiazole derivatives containing the cyclopropane system, showing promising activity against Candida spp., has been further investigated. We decided to verify their antifungal activity towards clinical Candida albicans isolated from the oral cavity of patients with hematological malignancies and investigate the mode of action on fungal cell, the effect of combination with the selected antimycotics, toxicity to erythrocytes, and lipophilicity. These studies were performed by the broth microdilution method, test with sorbitol and ergosterol, checkerboard technique, erythrocyte lysis assay, and reversed phase thin-layer chromatography, respectively. All derivatives showed very strong activity (similar and even higher than nystatin) against all C. albicans isolates with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 0.008–7.81 µg/mL Their mechanism of action may be related to action within the fungal cell wall structure and/or within the cell membrane. The interactions between the derivatives and the selected antimycotics (nystatin, chlorhexidine, and thymol) showed additive effect only in the case of combination some of them and thymol. The erythrocyte lysis assay confirmed the low cytotoxicity of these compounds as compared to nystatin. The high lipophilicity of the derivatives was related with their high antifungal activity. The present studies confirm that the studied thiazole derivatives containing the cyclopropane system appear to be a very promising group of compounds in treatment of infections caused by C. albicans. However, this requires further studies in vivo. Key points • The newly thiazoles showed high antifungal activity and some of them — additive effect in combination with thymol. • Their mode of action may be related with the influence on the structure of the fungal cell wall and/or the cell membrane. • The low cytotoxicity against erythrocytes and high lipophilicity of these derivatives are their additional good properties. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Direct Interaction of Polar Scaffolding Protein Wag31 with Nucleoid-Associated Protein Rv3852 Regulates Its Polar Localization

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1558
Author(s):  
Rajni Garg ◽  
Chinmay Anand ◽  
Sohini Ganguly ◽  
Sandhya Rao ◽  
Rinkee Verma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Transmembrane Helix ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Scaffolding Protein ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Cell Wall Synthesis ◽  
Interaction Approach

Rv3852 is a unique nucleoid-associated protein (NAP) found exclusively in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and closely related species. Although annotated as H-NS, we showed previously that it is very different from H-NS in its properties and is distinct from other NAPs, anchoring to cell membrane by virtue of possessing a C-terminal transmembrane helix. Here, we investigated the role of Rv3852 in Mtb in organizing architecture or synthesis machinery of cell wall by protein–protein interaction approach. We demonstrated a direct physical interaction of Rv3852 with Wag31, an important cell shape and cell wall integrity determinant essential in Mtb. Wag31 localizes to the cell poles and possibly acts as a scaffold for cell wall synthesis proteins, resulting in polar cell growth in Mtb. Ectopic expression of Rv3852 in M. smegmatis resulted in its interaction with Wag31 orthologue DivIVAMsm. Binding of the NAP to Wag31 appears to be necessary for fine-tuning Wag31 localization to the cell poles, enabling complex cell wall synthesis in Mtb. In Rv3852 knockout background, Wag31 is mislocalized resulting in disturbed nascent peptidoglycan synthesis, suggesting that the NAP acts as a driver for localization of Wag31 to the cell poles. While this novel association between these two proteins presents one of the mechanisms to structure the elaborate multi-layered cell envelope of Mtb, it also exemplifies a new function for a NAP in mycobacteria.

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