FIG 3.
BveA fine-tunes the PE content of the B. melitensis cell envelope, Membrane lipid composition of wild-type B. melitensis (Bm) compared to an isogenic bveA mutant CMR27 (bveA) and the chromosomally restored strain TOK09 (bveArestored). (A) 2D-TLC of lipid extracts of the cell envelope of B. melitensis 16M, bveA mutant (CMR27), and restored strain TOK09 extracted with MTBE. Phospholipids were detected with molybdatophosphoric acid spray solution (Merck). The dashed line highlights the PC/PE ratio. (B) Ratio of phospholipids PC/PE in the cell envelope of B. melitensis 16M, bveA mutant CMR27, and chromosomally restored bveA mutant TOK09. Ratios were calculated based on the relative densitometric abundance (percentage) of individual MBTE-extracted membrane lipids from 2D-TLC of PC, PE, OL, PG, and CL (see Fig. S2 in the supplemental material). (C) Q-TOF analysis to estimate the relative quantities of PE and PC in B. melitensis 16M and the bveA mutant CMR27. Significant differences between the wild-type 16M and bveA mutant CMR27: *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01.