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. 1985 Apr;48(1):14–18. doi: 10.1128/iai.48.1.14-18.1985

Disulfide-bonded outer membrane proteins in the genus Legionella.

C A Butler, E D Street, T P Hatch, P S Hoffman
PMCID: PMC261906  PMID: 3980079

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila and related species were examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for outer membrane proteins. Of the 10 species examined, 9 contained a 24-kilodalton (kDa) major outer membrane protein (MOMP) that was resolvable only when outer membrane material was heated in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. Labeling studies with [35S]cysteine indicated that the protein contained cysteine, and disulfide cross-linking of the unreduced complex was demonstrated by labeling with iodoacetamide. The unreduced outer membrane preparation contained peptidoglycan, and after treatment with lysozyme to remove peptidoglycan, a protein complex of 95 kDa was observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the absence of 2-mercaptoethanol. Reduction of the 95-kDa complex yielded 24-kDa monomers, suggesting that the 95-kDa complex was composed of four subunits. The 24-kDa MOMP from L. pneumophila was purified, and antibody produced to this protein cross-reacted with all species of Legionella as determined from an immunoblot of a sodium dodecyl sulfate gel. Only serogroup 1 strains of L. bozemanii lacked the 24-kDa MOMP and showed no cross-reactivity. These results suggest that the 24-kDa MOMP common to most species of Legionella contains a genus-specific epitope.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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