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Capsule polysaccharide-protein-peptidoglycan complex in the cell envelope of Rhodobacter capsulatus

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Abstract

The capsule polysaccharide-protein-peptidoglycan complex (insoluble in boiling sodium dodecyl sulfate and hot phenol-water) from cell envelopes of Rhodobacter capsulatus St. Louis was characterized. Hydrofluoric, hydrochloric acid or alkaline hydrolysis solubilized the polysaccharide moiety, whereas the protein-peptidoglycan moiety remained insoluble. On treatment of the protein-peptidoglycan moiety with lysozyme, the protein with peptidoglycan-residues bound was solubilized. It showed a single, broad peptide band (M r=about 17,000) on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis. The same protein was obtained by lysozyme digestion (without preceding hydrofluoric or hydrochloric acid treatment) of the protein-peptidoglycan complex of the phage-resistant mutant Rhodobacter capsulatus St. Louis RC1-, in which the capsule polysaccharide is present in a free form. A protein-peptidoglycan complex was isolated also from the capsulefree Rhodobacter capsulatus 37b4. Covalent binding between the protein and peptidoglycan moieties is likely for all three strains as is the lipoprotein nature of the protein moiety. The polysaccharide moiety of the complete complex from the wild-type Rhodobacter capsulatus St. Louis was at least partly removable from the complex in the presence of high salt concentrations or ethylene diamine tetraacetate. A specific amino acid pattern (with Ser, Gly, Glu, and Ala dominating) remained constantly associated with the capsule polysaccharide moiety independent of the separation procedure.

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Abbreviations

A2pm:

diaminopimelic acid

Cetavlon:

cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide

EDTA:

ethylene-diaminetetraacetate, disodium salt

HF:

hydrofluoric acid

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

PAGL:

polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis

SDS:

sodium dodecyl sulfate

TCA:

trichloroacetic acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biologie II, Mikrobiologie, der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Schänzlestrasse 1, D-7800, Freiburg i. Br., Federal Republic of Germany

    E. Bräutigam, D. Woitzik, H. T. Flammann & J. Weckesser

  2. Institut für Genetik und Mikrobiologie, Maria-Ward-Strasse 1a, D-8000, München 19, Federal Republic of Germany

    F. Fiedler

Authors
  1. E. Bräutigam
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  2. F. Fiedler
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  3. D. Woitzik
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  4. H. T. Flammann
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  5. J. Weckesser
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Bräutigam, E., Fiedler, F., Woitzik, D. et al. Capsule polysaccharide-protein-peptidoglycan complex in the cell envelope of Rhodobacter capsulatus . Arch. Microbiol. 150, 567–573 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408251

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408251

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