High Level Expression and Purification of Atl, the Major Autolytic Protein ofStaphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureusis a major human and animal pathogen. Autolysins regulate the growth, turnover, cell lysis, biofilm formation, and the pathogenicity ofS. aureus. Atl is the major autolysin inS. aureus. The biochemical and structural studies of staphylococcal Atl have been limited due to difficulty in cloning, high level overexpression, and purification of this protein. This study describes successful cloning, high level over-expression, and purification of two forms of fully functional Atl proteins. These pure proteins can be used to study the functional and structural properties of this important protein.