Abstract
Purified flagellar filaments isolated from six methanogens were composed of multiple flagellins. Two flagellins were present in Methanococcus deltae (M r =34000 and 32000), Methanoculleus marisnigri (M r =31000 and 25500) and Methanococcus jannaschii (M r =31000 and 27500), three in Methanothermus fervidus (M r =34000, 25000 and 24000) and four or more in both Methanococcus vanniellii and Methanococcus maripaludis (M r ranging from 27500 to 32000). The flagellins of M. fervidus and M. deltae reacted positively with glycoprotein-specific stains. The flagellins of M. deltae, M. maripaludis and M. vannielii were closely related to those of M. voltae based on cross-reactivity with antisera raised against M. voltae flagellins and homology with flagellin-specific oligonucleotide probes to the N-terminus and leader peptide of M. voltae flagellins. Similarities appear to exist among the flagellins of M. fervidus, M. marisnigri and Halobacterium halobium based on cross-reactivity with antisera produced against the flagella of Methanospirillum hungatei JF1. The N-termini of the flagellins from the mesophilic Methanococcus spp. and M. marisnigri show homology with the N-termini of other archaebacterial flagellins. These N-termini may undergo a modification involving removal of a leader peptide.
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Kalmokoff, M.L., Koval, S.F. & Jarrell, K.F. Relatedness of the flagellins from methanogens. Arch. Microbiol. 157, 481–487 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00276766
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00276766