嗜水气单胞菌侵袭力与宿主细胞信号转导和骨架的关系

嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila,Ah)是淡水鱼暴发性败血症的主要病原,该菌能够引致淡水鱼等的败血症和人的腹泻等^[1]。嗜水气单胞菌有多种致病因子,如毒素、蛋白酶、S层蛋白等^[2],还发现它具有侵袭作用,有报道嗜水气单胞菌粪分离株能侵袭HEp-2细胞^[3],但对于鱼源菌株的侵袭特性知之甚少。仅有一些报道认为嗜水气单胞菌能引致细胞病变^[4,5]。     

CP7抗菌蛋白对嗜水气单胞菌的抑杀作用机理

[目的]研究多粘类芽孢杆菌(Paenibacillus polymyxa) CP7菌株的抗菌蛋白(CP7ACP)对嗜水气单胞菌的抑杀作用机理,为防治嗜水气单胞菌引起的鱼病提供新的潜在天然药物.[方法]采用抑菌试验、钼锑抗比色法和紫外光谱法研究其对嗜水气单胞菌S12菌株生长、磷泄漏和生物大分子的影响,并利用扫描电镜和透射电镜观察了嗜水气单胞菌细胞结构遭受的破坏作用.[结果]CP7ACP对嗜水气单胞菌的抑菌圈直径约8.1 mm,最小抑菌浓度(MIC)与最小杀菌浓度(MBC)分别为原液浓度的1/8和1/4;嗜水气单胞菌受CP7ACP处理后,电镜观察发现其细胞壁、细胞膜、细胞器以及菌体均受到不同程度的破坏,胞内的生物大分子和磷泄漏明显,基因组DNA发生增色效应.[结论]CP7ACP抑制嗜水气单胞菌生长,可用于防治嗜水气单胞菌引起的鱼病.     

西伯利亚鲟嗜水气单胞菌与其它3株气单胞菌间的免疫交叉反应

采用间接免疫荧光技术分析了西伯利亚鲟细菌性败血症致病菌嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophlia)X1菌株、豚鼠气单胞菌(Aeromonas caviae)XL2-T菌株、致病性温和气单胞菌(Aeromonas sobria)W1菌株与无致病性嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophlia)M3菌株等水产养殖主要病原菌与抗血清之间的免疫交叉反应。结果显示具有致病性的同属菌株X1菌株、XL2-T菌株、W1菌株交叉反应程度较大,说明这3株菌表面存在较多相同抗原决定簇。而无致病性菌株M3与其他3株致病性菌株免疫交叉反应程度较小。     

嗜水气单胞菌J-1株弹性蛋白酶的表达、纯化及特性分析

摘要：【目的】表达、纯化嗜水气单胞菌J-1株弹性蛋白酶,并对弹性蛋白酶的性质进行分析。【方法】以pET-32a为表达载体将弹性蛋白酶基因ahyB转化至大肠杆菌BL21菌株中进行诱导表达,表达重组酶用His TaqNi2+亲和层析柱纯化并用6 mol/L盐酸胍进行复性;利用硫酸铵分级沉淀、阴离子交换层析和分子筛层析对嗜水气单胞菌培养上清液中的弹性蛋白酶进行纯化。将【结果】从嗜水气单胞菌培养上清液中获得的弹性蛋白酶原酶的最适pH 为8.5,而表达重组酶为 10.0;对热的稳定性,原酶高于表达酶。两种形式酶的性     

西伯利亚鲟源嗜水气单胞菌致病菌的分离及其全菌苗的免疫效果

从患细菌性败血症的西伯利亚鲟(Acipenser baerii)的体内分离到一株致病菌株X1,其对西伯利亚鲟的半数致死浓度(LC50)为5.62×105 cfu/ml,具有较强毒力;经ATB细菌鉴定仪生理生化鉴定和16SrDNA序列分析,菌株X1为嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila);其系统发育分析表明,菌株X1与嗜水气单胞菌ATCC35654(登录号:X74676.1)的亲缘关系最近,其同源性为99%.用0.30%福尔马林灭活,将菌株X1制成灭活全菌苗,对西伯利亚鲟进行注射免疫.研究结果表明,嗜水气单胞菌X1全菌苗能够明显提高西伯利亚鲟的血清抗体水平及总蛋白、免疫球蛋白、溶菌酶含量,而且在嗜水气单胞菌X1全菌苗中加入弗氏不完全佐剂,有利于进一步增强西伯利亚鲟血清抗体水平及总蛋白、免疫球蛋白、溶菌酶含量.此外,嗜水气单胞菌X1全菌苗对西伯利亚鲟抗嗜水气单胞菌X1人工感染也具有较好的免疫保护作用,其对西伯利亚鲟的免疫保护率为50%,而且在嗜水气单胞菌X1全菌苗中加入弗氏不完全佐剂,嗜水气单胞菌X1全菌苗对西伯利亚鲟抗嗜水气单胞菌X1人工感染的免疫保护作用更好,其对西伯利亚鲟的免疫保护率为70%.因此,将嗜水气单胞菌X1全菌苗用于西伯利亚鲟细菌性败血症的防治具有广阔的发展前景.     

一种检测大鲵致病性嗜水气单胞菌的四重PCR法

建立一种快速诊断致病性嗜水气单胞菌的PCR法。根据嗜水气单胞菌的16S rDNA、外膜蛋白、溶血素及丝氨酸蛋白酶基因设计4对引物,经PCR反应条件优化后进行检测。结果表明,仅嗜水气单胞菌呈阳性,其检测敏感性高,可检测100 fg的DNA模板。20株大鲵源嗜水气单胞菌经四重PCR法检测时,有18株呈阳性。其中,毒力基因种类较多的阳性菌株经人工感染试验和胞外产物活性检测时显示出较高的致病性。利用该PCR法进行的其他检测中,还发现33份人工感染样本全部呈阳性,34份疑似样本有21份呈阳性,说明四重PCR法可应用于临床检测。本研究建立的四重PCR法具有高度敏感性和特异性,可用于嗜水气单胞菌快速诊断。     

抑制嗜水气单胞菌乳酸菌的筛选、鉴定及抑菌作用

从健康成年尼罗罗非鱼（Oreochromis niloticus）肠道中分离纯化得到乳酸菌,采用牛津杯双层平板法筛选具有抑制嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)活性的乳酸菌菌株,借助16S rRNA分子鉴定乳酸菌种类。通过排除有机酸和过氧化氢干扰及蛋白酶敏感性等试验分析抑菌活性最佳乳酸菌的抑菌活性物质成分,并进行热、酸碱稳定性和扫描电镜观察等确定抑菌活性物质对嗜水气单胞菌的抑菌作用。结果显示,尼罗罗非鱼肠道中有3株乳酸菌对嗜水气单胞菌表现出良好的抑菌效果,经鉴定后分别为植物乳酸菌（Lactobacillus plantarum）和唾液乳杆菌（Lactobacillus salivarius）。其中,菌株LX3的抑菌活性最佳,抑菌圈直径可达到（25.25±0.23） mm且对多种蛋白酶敏感,经不同温度和酸碱性处理后抑菌活性物质仍保持较高的抑菌活性,特别是在pH 12和100 ℃处理后,抑菌圈直径仍达到（13.87±0.12）和（16.65±0.26） mm。此外,扫描电镜观察发现菌株LX3抑菌活性物质主要破坏了嗜水气单胞菌的细胞结构,使细胞内容物流出,致其死亡。上述结果表明,尼罗罗非鱼肠道中拥有较为丰富的抑制嗜水气单胞菌乳酸菌资源,尤其是菌株LX3显示出良好的抑菌活性与抑菌作用,这对于替代抗生素防治嗜水气单胞菌引发的相关鱼类疾病具有重要价值。     

西伯利亚鲟致病性嗜水气单胞菌外膜蛋白及其抗原性分析

采用十二烷基肌氨酸钠(Sarkosyl)法提取西伯利亚鲟嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)外膜蛋白,电泳显示所提取的主要外膜蛋白分子量为26～120 kDa;为比较该菌株与气单胞菌菌属其他细菌外膜蛋白组分及抗原性异同,以致病性豚鼠气单胞菌(A.caviae)、温和气单胞菌(A.sobria)和无致病力的嗜水气单胞菌为对照,电泳图谱显示4种气单胞菌外膜蛋白的分子量主要集中在26～120 kDa之间;利用抗西伯利亚鲟嗜水气单胞菌血清的免疫印迹试验表明该菌株外膜蛋白中分子量为75 kDa、52 kDa、43 kDa、40 kDa、34 kDa、28 kDa的蛋白条带呈现阳性反应,其他3种气单胞菌外膜蛋白中均有与该抗血清反应的条带,且分子量为28 kDa、34 kDa的反应条带为4株菌共有;43 kDa与75 kDa反应条带为部分菌株共有.为进一步筛选和研究致病性气单胞菌的共同保护抗原提供参考.     

260株气单胞菌的表型特性与毒素原性研究

本文对山东省9市（地）临床和外环境等6种标本中检出的260株气单胞菌进行了表型特性研究。结果表明：山东省以温和气单胞菌为主（52.69％）,嗜水气单胞菌（23．4％）、豚鼠气单胞菌（23.08％）次之。自淡水鱼中检出维隆气单胞菌和易损气单胞菌各1株。随机抽取163株应用溶血试验、CHO细胞测毒素试验、兔肠结扎及CT基因探针杂交试验进行毒素原性研究,温和、嗜水及豚鼠气单胞菌均可产生溶血素、肠毒素,某些菌株的肠毒素具有与严乱肠毒素呈交叉反应因子（CTCE）。     

鲟源病原性嗜水气单胞菌拮抗芽孢杆菌的鉴定及其生物学特性

从养殖池污泥中分离筛选了1株优良的鲟源嗜水气单胞菌拮抗芽孢杆菌G1,其对鲟源嗜水气单胞菌S1产生的抑菌圈直径为18.50 mm。通过API50CH细菌鉴定系统以及16S rRNA序列分析法,菌株G1被鉴定为解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens),GenBank登录号HM245965.1,其16S rRNA序列与基因库中芽孢杆菌属菌株的16S rRNA序列有99%100%的同源性,而且与解淀粉芽孢杆菌Ba-74501(GenBank登录号:DQ422953.1)的亲缘关系最近。菌株G1的最适生长pH值为7,最适生长温度为30°C,其在30°C、200 r/min条件下的生长曲线为:0 6 h为生长延迟期,6 54 h为对数生长期,54 90 h为稳定期,90 h以后为衰亡期。此外,菌株G1对其他实验选用的病原性嗜水气单胞菌也表现出良好的拮抗活性。本实验结果有利于填补嗜水气单胞菌拮抗菌在分类地位、生物学特性等方面的不足,为鲟鱼嗜水气单胞菌病的生物防控提供科学资料。     

Antigenic diversity of the S-layer proteins from pathogenic strains of Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria.

The antigenic relatedness of paracrystalline surface array proteins with subunit molecular weights of approximately 52,000 from isolates of Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria belonging to a single heat-stable serogroup was examined. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting with two different polyclonal antisera against surface exposed and non-surface-exposed epitopes of the S-layer protein from A. hydrophila TF7 showed that the S-layer proteins of the mesophilic aeromonads were antigenically diverse. NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of four antigenically different proteins showed that while the proteins were structurally related, they differed in primary sequence. Absorption experiments with heterologous live cells showed that cross-reactive epitopes were in non-surface-exposed regions of the S-layer proteins, while absorption with homologous live cells showed that the immunodominant epitopes of the S-layer protein of strain TF7 were strain specific and exposed on the surface of the native, tetragonal array produced by this strain. Proteolytic digestion of the TF7 S-layer protein with trypsin, chymotrypsin, or endoproteinase Glu-C produced an amino-terminal peptide of approximate Mr 38,000 which was refractile to further proteolytic cleavage under nondenaturing conditions. This peptide carried the immunodominant surface-exposed region of the protein, and chemical cleavage with cyanogen bromide further mapped the portion of these surface-exposed epitopes to a peptide of approximate Mr 26,000, part of which maps within the Mr 38,000 protease-resistant NH2-terminal peptide.     

Surface protein composition of Aeromonas hydrophila strains virulent for fish: identification of a surface array protein.

The surface protein composition of members of a serogroup of Aeromonas hydrophila which exhibit high virulence for fish was examined. Treatment of whole cells of representative strain A. hydrophila TF7 with 0.2 M glycine buffer (pH 4.0) resulted in the release of sheets of a tetragonal surface protein array. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that this sheet material was composed primarily of a protein of apparent molecular weight 52,000 (52K protein). A 52K protein was also the predominant protein in glycine extracts of other members of the high-virulence serogroup. Immunoblotting with antiserum raised against formalinized whole cells of A. hydrophila TF7 showed the 52K S-layer protein to be the major surface protein antigen, and impermeant Sulfo-NHS-Biotin cell surface labeling showed that the 52K S-layer protein was the only protein accessible to the Sulfo-NHS-Biotin label and effectively masked underlying outer membrane (OM) proteins. In its native surface conformation the 52K S-layer protein was only weakly reactive with a lactoperoxidase 125I surface iodination procedure. A UV-induced rough lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant of TF7 was found to produce an intact S layer, but a deep rough LPS mutant was unable to maintain an array on the cell surface and excreted the S-layer protein into the growth medium, indicating that a minimum LPS oligosaccharide size was required for A. hydrophila S-layer anchoring. The 52K S-layer protein exhibited hear-dependent SDS-solubilization behavior when associated with OM, but was fully solubilized at all temperatures after removal from the OM, indicating a strong interaction of the S layer with the underlying OM. The native S layer was permeable to 125I in the lactoperoxidase radiolabeling procedure, and two major OM proteins of molecular weights 30,000 and 48,000 were iodinated. The 48K species was a peptidoglycan-associated, transmembrane protein which exhibited heat-modifiable SDS solubilization behaviour characteristic of a porin protein. A 50K major peptidoglycan-associated OM protein which was not radiolabeled exhibited similar SDS heat modification characteristics and possibly represents a second porin protein.     

Isolation and biochemical characterization of the S-layer protein from a pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila strain.

The regular surface protein array (S layer) present on Aeromonas hydrophila TF7 is composed of a single species of protein of apparent molecular weight 52,000. This protein was extracted from whole cells by treatment with 0.2 M glycine hydrochloride (pH 3.0). The protein was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Amino acid composition analysis showed that the protein contained 520 residues per molecule, 41% of which were hydrophobic. Cysteine was absent. A pI of 4.6 was determined for the protein, and only a single isoelectric form was detected. The purified protein displayed the hydrophobic characteristic of binding to octyl-Sepharose gels, but the salt aggregation test showed that it did not confer hydrophobicity to the cell surface when present as an intact S layer. The molecule aggregated strongly in aqueous solution as determined by sedimentation equilibrium studies. Circular dichroism spectra showed that the S-layer protein was composed of a large amount of beta-sheet (approximately 44%), a limited amount of alpha-helix (19%), and 12% beta-turn, with the remainder of the molecule being aperiodic. No significant difference in secondary structure content was measured in the presence of the metal chelator EDTA. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined for the first 30 residues. No sequence homology with other S-layer proteins was found.     

A specific PulD homolog is required for the secretion of paracrystalline surface array subunits in Aeromonas hydrophila.

Aeromonas hydrophila is an important pathogen of fish, and its high-virulence strains display a two-dimensional paracrystalline layer (S-layer) on their outermost surfaces. The nucleotide sequence of a 4.1-kb region located 700 bp upstream of the A. hydrophila TF7 S-layer protein gene (ahsA) has been determined. A sequence analysis of the region revealed the presence of three complete open reading frames ending in a gene encoding a 79.8-kDa polypeptide that shows high homology to the PulD family of secretion proteins. The sequenced region displays both organizational and sequence homology to the Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris Xps secretory system. Insertional inactivation of the spsD (S-protein secretion D) gene showed that the loss of expression of the PulD homolog coincided with the localization of the S-protein in the periplasm and the loss of the S-layer from the surface of the bacterium. However, the secretion of the enzymes hemolysin, amylase, and protease was unaffected in the mutant with the nonfunctional spsD gene, as was the export of flagella and fimbrial proteins. Southern blot analysis showed that the spsD gene was not conserved among all strains of S-protein-producing A. hydrophila or Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria. Use of the promoterless chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene showed that unlike pulD and its homologs, spsD contains its own promoter. A. hydrophila has been shown to contain the exe operon, which is responsible for the secretion of a number of extracellular enzymes in this bacterium. A fragment of DNA was generated from the exeD gene of A. hydrophilia Ah65 by PCR and was subsequently used in hybridization studies to probe the chromosome of A. hydrophila TF7. The presence of an exeD homolog in A. hydrophila TF7 was found; therefore, the spsD gene encodes a second pulD homolog that displays a high specificity for the secretion of the S-protein. This gene appears to be part of a second terminal branch of the general secretory pathway in A. hydrophila.     

Pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila serogroup O:14 and O:81 strains with an S layer

Five autoagglutinating Aeromonas hydrophila isolates recovered from eels and humans were assigned to serogroups O:14 and O:81 of the Sakazaki and Shimada (National Institutes of Health) scheme. They had the following properties in common: positive precipitation after boiling, moderate surface hydrophobicity (salt-aggregation-test value around 1.2), pathogenicity for fish and mice (50% lethal dose, 10(4.61) to 10(7.11)), lipopolysaccharides that contained O-polysaccharide chains of homogeneous chain length, and an external S layer peripheral to the cell wall observed by electron microscopy. A strong cross-reactivity was detected by immunoblotting between the homogeneous O-polysaccharide fraction of O:14 and O:81 strains but not between them and the lipopolysaccharide of A. hydrophila TF7 (O:11 reference strain). Outer membrane fractions of these strains contained a predominant 53- to 54-kDa protein which was glycine extractable under low-pH (pH 2.8) conditions and was identified as the surface array protein. The S-layer proteins of the O:14 and O:81 A. hydrophila strains seemed to be primarily different from those previously purified from strains A. hydrophila TF7 and Aeromonas salmonicida A450 on the basis of colony hybridizations with both the structural genes vapA and ahsA. This is the first report of the presence of an S layer in mesophilic Aeromonas strains not belonging to serogroup O:11.     

Antigen expression in biofilm cells of Aeromonas hydrophila employed in oral vaccination of fish

Total protein, S-layer protein and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of biofilm cells of Aeromonas hydrophila were analysed by SDS-PAGE and compared with that of planktonic cells. In the whole cell lysate of biofilm cells, about 15 proteins were repressed while three new proteins were expressed compared to that in planktonic cells. Interestingly, in biofilm cells the S-layer proteins were lost and LPS showed an additional high molecular weight band compared to that in planktonic cells. We propose that the change in LPS profile must have contributed to the loss of S-layer. Also, the high molecular weight band of LPS might play a role in the better performance of biofilm oral vaccine by eliciting a protective immune response.     

Roles of structural domains in the morphology and surface anchoring of the tetragonal paracrystalline array of Aeromonas hydrophila. Biochemical characterization of the major structural domain.

The tetragonally arranged S-layer of Aeromonas hydrophila contains two morphological domains. The mature S-layer protein of A. hydrophila has a subunit molecular weight of 52,000, and has been reported to contain two structural domains. Here a mutant has been isolated which produces an S-layer of subunit molecular weight 38,650 as determined by sedimentation analysis. This truncated S-protein was exported via the periplasm to the cell surface, but could not self-assemble into a tetragonal array or be anchored to the cell surface. Instead the truncated protein formed cup-like structures which were purified and characterized biochemically. Automated Edman degradation showed that the truncated protein comprised the amino-terminal structural domain of the S-protein. This domain had an increased hydrophobic amino acid content relative to the wild-type protein, and contained approximately 42% beta-sheet, 10% alpha-helix, and 19% beta-turn. Differences in alpha-helix and beta-turn contents between the wild-type and truncated proteins were observed when the effects of pH and SDS were examined, indicating that the carboxy terminus influences the effects of environmental change on the conformation of the S-protein. This lesser carboxy-terminal array also appears to be required for both correct array morphology, and array anchoring, while the greater amino-terminal domain appears to comprise the major morphological core of the surface array.     

Immunoreactive antigens of the outer membrane protein of Aeromonas hydrophila, isolated from goldfish, Carassius auratus (Linn.)

Aeromonas hydrophila causes disease under stress conditions or in concert with infection by other pathogens in goldfish. Sero-diagnostic and/or immunoprophylactic tools against Aeromonas infection in goldfish are not available so far. The present study was undertaken to fractionate and characterise the outer membrane proteins (OMP) of A. hydrophila and to identify suitable immunoreactive components. A total of 10 fractions were generated from crude OMP antigens upon gel permeation and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography. One of the fractionated antigens (GPID2), primarily a 57-kDa polypeptide, showed maximum sero-reactivity, even higher than the crude OMP. Suitability of GPID2 antigen for use in diagnostic preparations was assessed by dip-stick ELISA. In vitro goldfish lymphoproliferative ability of fractionated antigen, GPIID2 (primarily a 23-kDa polypeptide) was observed to be higher than all the fractionated antigens as well as crude OMP. It can be concluded that the 57 kDa and 23 kDa polypeptides of the OMP of A. hydrophila, possessing high immunoreactivity, should be given due attention while preparing immunodiagnostic and immunoprophylatic tools against Aeromonas infections in goldfish.     

Electrophoretic and immunochemical analyses of the lipopolysaccharides from various strains of Aeromonas hydrophila.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the lipopolysaccharides isolated from strains of Aeromonas hydrophila which exhibit virulence for fish and which autoaggregate during growth in static broth culture. The lipopolysaccharides contained O-polysaccharide chains of homogeneous chain length. Two of the strains produced a surface protein array, and immunofluorescence and phage-binding studies revealed that a number of these O-polysaccharide chains of homogeneous length traversed the protein array and were exposed on the cell surface. Immunochemical analyses by immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence, and immunoprecipitation with both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies revealed the presence of three epitopes on the polysaccharide moiety of this homogenous-chain-length lipopolysaccharide morphotype. One epitope was species serogroup specific and reactive by immunoblotting. This epitope was not present on the heterogeneous-chain-length O polysaccharides of nonautoaggregating strains of A. hydrophila examined. The second epitope was conformation dependent and cross-reactive with an epitope on the homogenous-chain-length O polysaccharides of Aeromonas salmonicida lipopolysaccharide. The third epitope was recognized by a monoclonal antibody and appeared to involve that region of the A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida lipopolysaccharide molecules which contained the O-polysaccharide-core oligosaccharide glycosidic linkage.     

Structural and chemical characterization of the S layer of a Pseudomonas-like bacterium.

Sections and freeze-fractured preparations showed an S layer on the surface of Pseudomonas-like strain EU2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cell envelopes extracted with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at room temperature showed three proteins (45K, 55K, and 110K). The 55K protein was identified as the S-layer protein. Incubation in 1.5 M guanidine hydrochloride removed the S layer from cell envelopes and dissociated the structure into subunits. The soluble 55K protein reassembled into planar sheets upon removal of the guanidine hydrochloride by dialysis. Electron microscopy and image processing indicated that these sheets had p4 symmetry in projection with a lattice constant of 13.2 +/- 0.1 nm (corresponding to 9.3 nm between adjacent fourfold axes). In some instances these reassemblies appeared to form small three-dimensional crystals which gave particularly clear views of the structure in projection because of the superimposition of information from a number of layers. A model is proposed with molecules having rounded lobes connected by a narrower linker region and joining at the lobes to form the fourfold axes of the array. The pattern superficially resembles those of other bacterial S layers, such as those of Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Azotobacter vinelandii. Extraction of cell envelopes with 1% SDS at 50 degrees C released the 110K protein from the envelopes and removed an amorphous backing layer from the S layer. The 45K protein displayed heat-modifiable migration in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and was insoluble in SDS at 50 degrees C or in high concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride, suggesting that it was associated with the peptidoglycan.