Esterase from the oil-degrading Acinetobacter lwoffii RAG-1: Sequence analysis and over-expression in Escherichia coli

Abstract The antigenic properties of the surface layer (S-layer) proteins of various Campylobacter rectus strains including 24 clinical isolates and the type strain ATCC 33238 were examined. S-layer proteins were extracted from whole cells by acid treatment according to the method of McCoy et al. (Infect. Immun. 11, 517–525, 1975). The acid extracts from 23 of the isolates and ATCC 33238 contained two major proteins with molecular masses of 130 kDa and 150 kDa, both of which were identified as subunits of the S-layer after comparison with the protein profiles of acid-treated (S-layer-deficient) cells. An S-layer protein from one isolate (CI-808) demonstrated a different molecular mass (160 kDa). Both the 150-kDa proteins of ATCC 33238 and isolate CI-306 and the 160-kDa protein of CI-808 were purified by ion-exchange chromatography in the presence of urea. In Ouchterlony immunodiffusion experiments with these purified proteins and rabbit antiserum raised to each purified protein, both common and strain-specific antigenic determinants were identified in the C. rectus S-layer proteins.     

Characterization of an S-layer glycoprotein produced in the course of S-layer variation of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Bacillus stearothermophilu</Emphasis>s ATCC 12980 and sequencing and cloning of the<Emphasis Type="Italic"> sbsD</Emphasis> gene encoding the protein moiety

The cell surface of Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 is completely covered by an oblique lattice which consists of the S-layer protein SbsC. On SDS-polyacrylamide gels, the mature S-layer protein migrates as a single band with an apparent molecular mass of 122 kDa. During cultivation of B. stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 at 67 degrees C instead of 55 degrees C, a variant developed that had a secondary cell wall polymer identical to that of the wild-type strain, but it carried an S-layer glycoprotein that could be separated on SDS-polyacrylamide gels into four bands with apparent molecular masses of 92, 118, 150 and 175 kDa. After deglycosylation, only a single protein band with a molecular mass of 92 kDa remained. The complete nucleotide sequence encoding the protein moiety of this S-layer glycoprotein, termed SbsD, was established by PCR and inverse PCR. The sbsD gene of 2,709 bp is predicted to encode a protein of 96.2 kDa with a 30-amino-acid signal peptide. Within the 807 bp encoding the signal peptide and the N-terminal sequence (amino acids 31-269), different nucleotides for sbsD and sbsC were observed in 46 positions, but 70% of these mutations were silent, thus leading to a level of identity of 95% for the N-terminal parts. The level of identity of the remaining parts of SbsD and SbsC was below 10%, indicating that the lysine-, tyrosine- and arginine-rich N-terminal region in combination with a distinct type of secondary cell wall polymer remained conserved upon S-layer variation. The sbsD sequence encoding the mature S-layer protein cloned into the pET28a vector led to stable expression in Escherichia coli HMS174(DE3). This is the first example demonstrating that S-layer variation leads to the synthesis of an S-layer glycoprotein.     

Cloning and characterization of two bistructural S-layer-RTX proteins from Campylobacter rectus

Campylobacter rectus is an important periodontal pathogen in humans. A surface-layer (S-layer) protein and a cytotoxic activity have been characterized and are thought to be its major virulence factors. The cytotoxic activity was suggested to be due to a pore-forming protein toxin belonging to the RTX (repeats in the structural toxins) family. In the present work, two closely related genes, csxA and csxB (for C. rectus S-layer and RTX protein) were cloned from C. rectus and characterized. The Csx proteins appear to be bifunctional and possess two structurally different domains. The N-terminal part shows similarity with S-layer protein, especially SapA and SapB of C. fetus and Crs of C. rectus. The C-terminal part comprising most of CsxA and CsxB is a domain with 48 and 59 glycine-rich canonical nonapeptide repeats, respectively, arranged in three blocks. Purified recombinant Csx peptides bind Ca2+. These are characteristic traits of RTX toxin proteins. The S-layer and RTX domains of Csx are separated by a proline-rich stretch of 48 amino acids. All C. rectus isolates studied contained copies of either the csxA or csxB gene or both; csx genes were absent from all other Campylobacter and Helicobacter species examined. Serum of a patient with acute gingivitis showed a strong reaction to recombinant Csx protein on immunoblots.     

Development of Thermus-Escherichia shuttle vectors and their use for expression of the Clostridium thermocellum celA gene in Thermus thermophilus.

We describe the self-selection of replication origins of undescribed cryptic plasmids from Thermus aquaticus Y-VII-51B (ATCC 25105) and a Thermus sp. strain (ATCC 27737) by random insertion of a thermostable kanamycin adenyltransferase cartridge. Once selected, these autonomous replication origins were cloned into the Escherichia coli vector pUC9 or pUC19. The bifunctional plasmids were analyzed for their sizes, relationships, and properties as shuttle vectors for Thermus-Escherichia cloning. Seven different vectors with diverse kanamycin resistance levels, stabilities, transformation efficiencies, and copy numbers were obtained. As a general rule, those from T. aquaticus (pLU1 to pLU4) were more stable than those from the Thermus sp. (pMY1 to pMY3). To probe their usefulness, we used one of the plasmids (pMY1) to clone in E. coli a modified form of the cellulase gene (celA) from Clostridium thermocellum in which the native signal peptide was replaced in vitro by that from the S-layer gene of T. thermophilus HB8. The hybrid product was expressed and exported by E. coli. When the gene was transferred by transformation into T. thermophilus, the cellulase protein was also expressed and secreted at 70 degrees C.     

The S-layer protein from Campylobacter rectus: sequence determination and function of the recombinant protein

The gene encoding the crystalline surface layer (S-layer) protein from Campylobacter rectus , designated slp , was sequenced and the recombinant gene product was expressed in Escherichia coli . The gene consisted of 4086 nucleotides encoding a protein with 1361 amino acids. The N-terminal amino acid sequence revealed that Slp did not contain a signal sequence, but that the initial methionine residue was processed. The deduced amino acid sequence displayed some common characteristic features of S-layer proteins previously reported. A homology search showed a high similarity to the Campylobacter fetus S-layer proteins, especially in their N-terminus. The C-terminal third of Slp exhibited homology with the RTX toxins from Gram-negative bacteria via the region including the glycine-rich repeats. The Slp protein had the same N-terminal sequence as a 104-kDa cytotoxin isolated from the culture supernatants of C. rectus . However, neither native nor recombinant Slp showed cytotoxicity against HL-60 cells or human peripheral white blood cells. These data support the idea that the N-terminus acts as an anchor to the cell surface components and that the C-terminus is involved in the assembly and/or transport of the protein.     

Identification by flagellum display of an epithelial cell- and fibronectin-binding function in the SlpA surface protein of Lactobacillus brevis

Depletion of the SlpA protein from the bacterial surface greatly reduced the adhesion of Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 8287 to the human intestinal cell lines Caco-2 and Intestine 407, the endothelial cell line EA-hy926, and the urinary bladder cell line T24, as well as immobilized fibronectin. For functional analysis of the SlpA surface protein, different regions of the slpA gene were expressed as internal in-frame fusions in the variable region of the fliC(H7) gene of Escherichia coli. The resulting chimeric flagella carried inserts up to 275 amino acids long from the mature S-layer protein, which is 435 amino acids in size. The expression of the SlpA fragments on the chimeric flagella was assessed by immunoelectron microscopy and Western blotting using anti-SlpA antibodies, and their binding to human cells was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. Chimeric flagella harboring inserts that represented the N-terminal part of the S-layer protein bound to the epithelial cell lines, whereas the C-terminal part of the S-layer protein did not confer binding on the flagella. The shortest S-layer peptide capable of detectable binding was 81 amino acid residues in size and represented residues 96 through 176 in the unprocessed S-layer protein. The bacteria and the chimeric flagella did not show detectable binding to erythrocytes, whereas the SlpA-expressing ATCC 8287 cells as well as the chimeric SlpA 96-245/FliC flagella bound to immobilized fibronectin. The N-terminal SlpA peptide 96-176 or 96-200 fused to FliC was not recognized in Western blotting or immunoelectron microscopy by a polyclonal serum raised against the S-layer protein; the antiserum, however, reacted in immunofluorescence with the ATCC 8287 cells. In contrast, an antiserum raised against the His-tagged peptide 96-245 of SlpA bound to the hybrid flagella with the N-terminal SlpA inserts but did not react with ATCC 8287 cells. The results identify the S-layer of L. brevis ATCC 8287 as an adhesin with affinity for human epithelial cells and fibronectin and locate the receptor-binding region within a fragment of 81 amino acids in the N-terminal part of the molecule, which in native S-layer seems inaccessible to antibodies.     

Construction of an S-layer protein exhibiting modified self-assembling properties and enhanced metal binding capacities

The functional S-layer protein gene slfB of the uranium mining waste pile isolate Bacillus sphaericus JG-A12 was cloned as a polymerase chain reaction product into the expression vector pET Lic/Ek 30 and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli Bl21(DE3). The addition of His tags to the N and C termini enabled the purification of the recombinant protein by Ni-chelating chromatography. The Ni binding capacity of the His-tagged recombinant S-layer protein was compared with that of the wild-type S layer. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses demonstrate a significantly enhanced Ni binding capability of the recombinant protein. In addition, the self-assembling properties of the purified modified S-layer proteins were studied by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Whereas the wild-type S-layer proteins re-assembled into regular cylindric structures, the recombinant S-layer proteins reassembled into regular sheets that formed globular agglomerating structures. The nanoporous structure of the protein meshwork, together with its enhanced Ni binding capacity, makes the recombinant S-layer attractive as a novel self-assembling biological template for the fabrication of metal nanoclusters and construction of nanomaterials that are of technical interest.     

Designing a Cell Surface Display System of Protein Domains in Lactobacilli Based on S-Layer Proteins of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus brevis</Emphasis> ATCC 367

S-layer proteins of lactobacilli may be utilized for developing a surface display system in these bacteria. In this study, S-layer proteins of Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 367 were identified for the first time. Using the peptide fingerprint method, it was shown that the main protein of the S-layer of this strain, SlpE, having a mass of 52 kDa is the product of translation of the consecutive open reading frames LVIS_2086 and LVIS_2085. Repeated sequencing of a genome region of L. brevis ATCC 367, containing LVIS_2086 and LVIS_2085 loci, has showed that the LVIS_2086 sequence contains the TGG tryptophan codon instead of the TAG stop codon. Thus, LVIS_2085 and LVIS_2086 form a single slpE gene, the nucleotide sequence we deposited in the Genbank database under No. KY273133. The translation product of the slpE gene consists of 465 amino acids and has a calculated mass of 51.6 kDa, which corresponds to the experimentally obtained value. An S-layer protein with a mass of 56 kDa, identified as a form of the SlpE, is probably formed during the posttranslational modification. The concomitant 48 kDa S-protein was proven to be product of the LVIS- 2083 gene. The N-terminal domains of LVIS_2083 and SlpE have 70.7 and 96.5%, respectively, identity to the anchoring N-terminal domain of SlpA from L. brevis ATCC 8287, which is responsible for attachment to the cell wall. In this work, fusion proteins consisting of N-terminal domains of Lvis_2083 and SlpA proteins and the eGFP marker protein were obtained. The ability of fusion proteins SlpA_eGFP and Lvis_2083_eGFP, as well as the recombinant Lvis_2083 protein, to be specifically sorbed on the cell wall of L. brevis ATCC 8287, ATCC 367, and L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 strains has been demonstrated. It was shown that in the chimeric Lvis_2083_eGFP construction the N-terminal domain Lvis_2083 is responsible for an attachment to the cell wall and provides display of the functionally active eGFP protein on its surface. Thus, the N-terminal domain Lvis_2083 can be used as a basis of the protein display system on the cell surface of L. brevis strains in vitro.     

Effects of penicillin G on morphology and certain physiological parameters of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356

Evidence shows that probiotic bacteria can undergo substantial structural and morphological changes in response to environmental stresses, including antibiotics. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of penicillin G (0.015, 0.03, and 0.06 mg/l) on the morphology and adhesion of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, including the colony morphotype, biofilm production, hydrophobicity, H?O? formation, S-layer structure, and slpA gene expression. Whereas only smooth colonies grew in the presence of penicillin, rough and smooth colony types were observed in the control group. L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 was found to be hydrophobic under normal conditions, yet its hydrophobicity decreased in the presence of the antibiotic. No biofilm was produced by the bacterium, despite testing a variety of different culture conditions; however, treatment with penicillin G (0.015-0.06 mg/l) significantly decreased its production of H?O? formation and altered the S-layer protein structure and slpA gene expression. The S-protein expression decreased with 0.015 mg/l penicillin G, yet increased with 0.03 and 0.06 mg/l penicillin G. In addition, the slpA gene expression decreased in the presence of 0.015 mg/l of the antibiotic. In conclusion, penicillin G was able to alter the S-layer protein production, slpA gene expression, and certain physicochemical properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356.     

头状轮生链霉菌中丝裂霉素C抗性基因的克隆及功能研究

头状轮生链霉菌(\%Streptoverticillium caespitosus\%)ATCC27422是抗肿瘤药物丝裂霉素的主要产生菌,实验通过诱变筛选获得不产生丝裂霉素同时对丝裂霉素C敏感的阻断变种S6,并以它为受体宿主,以质粒pIJ699为载体,建立野生型头状轮生链霉菌菌株ATCC27422的基因库。采用鸟枪法克隆技术,从库中筛选获得含有丝裂霉素C抗性基因的62kb外源片段的克隆子。将含此外源片段的质粒pLX5导入变铅青链霉菌(\%Streptomyces lividans\%)获得表达。并且首次成功地运用电穿孔法将pLX5导入野生型菌株中,使其对丝裂霉素C的抗性大幅度提高：最低抑制浓度(MIC)由原来的200μg/mL上升至1000μg/mL以上。摇瓶发酵实验表明：单位菌量的ATCC27422(pLX5)的丝裂霉素产量高于野生菌株ATCC27422,因此丝裂霉素C抗性与产量之间存在一定的相关性。     

Identification, cloning, and nucleotide sequence of a silent S-layer protein gene of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 which has extensive similarity with the S-layer protein gene of this species.

The bacterial S-layer forms a regular structure, composed of a monolayer of one (glyco)protein, on the surfaces of many prokaryotic species. S-layers are reported to fulfil different functions, such as attachment structures for extracellular enzymes and major virulence determinants for pathogenic species. Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, which originates from the human pharynx, possesses such an S-layer. No function has yet been assigned to the S-layer of this species. Besides the structural gene (slpA) for the S-layer protein (S-protein) which constitutes this S-layer, we have identified a silent gene (slpB), which is almost identical to slpA in two regions. From the deduced amino acid sequence, it appears that the mature SB-protein (44,884 Da) is 53% similar to the SA-protein (43,636 Da) in the N-terminal and middle parts of the proteins. The C-terminal parts of the two proteins are identical except for one amino acid residue. The physical properties of the deduced S-proteins are virtually the same. Northern (RNA) blot analysis shows that only the slpA gene is expressed in wild-type cells, in line with the results from sequencing and primer extension analyses, which reveal that only the slpA gene harbors a promoter, which is located immediately upstream of the region where the two genes are identical. The occurrence of in vivo chromosomal recombination between the two S-protein-encoding genes will be described elsewhere.     

Production, secretion, and cell surface display of recombinant Sporosarcina ureae S-layer fusion proteins in Bacillus megaterium

Monomolecular crystalline bacterial cell surface layers (S-layers) have broad application potential in nanobiotechnology due to their ability to generate functional supramolecular structures. Here, we report that Bacillus megaterium is an excellent host organism for the heterologous expression and efficient secretion of hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged versions of the S-layer protein SslA from Sporosarcina ureae ATCC 13881. Three chimeric proteins were constructed, comprising the precursor, C-terminally truncated, and N- and C-terminally truncated forms of the S-layer SslA protein tagged with the human influenza hemagglutinin epitope. For secretion of fusion proteins, the open reading frames were cloned into the Escherichia coli-Bacillus megaterium shuttle vector pHIS1525. After transformation of the respective plasmids into Bacillus megaterium protoplasts, the recombinant genes were successfully expressed and the proteins were secreted into the growth medium. The isolated S-layer proteins are able to assemble in vitro into highly ordered, crystalline, sheetlike structures with the fused HA tag accessible to antibody. We further show by fluorescent labeling that the secreted S-layer fusion proteins are also clustered on the cell envelope of Bacillus megaterium, indicating that the cell surface can serve in vivo as a nucleation point for crystallization. Thus, this system can be used as a display system that allows the dense and periodic presentation of S-layer proteins or the fused tags.     

Development of small high-copy-number plasmid vectors for gene expression in Caulobacter crescentus

Caulobacter crescentus is a bacterium with a distinctive life cycle and so it is studied as a cell development model. In addition, we have adapted this bacterium for recombinant protein production and display based on the crystalline surface protein (S)-layer and its C-terminal secretion signal. We report here the development of small, high-copy-number plasmid vectors and methods for producing an obligate expression host. The vectors are based on a narrow-host-range colE1-replicon-based plasmid commonly used in Escherichia coli, to which was added the replication origin of the IncQ plasmid RSF1010. C. crescentus strains were modified to enable plasmid replication by introduction of the RSF1010 repBAC genes at the recA locus. The small (4.0-4.5 kb) plasmids were in high copy numbers in both C. crescentus and E. coli and amenable to rapid methods for plasmid isolation and DNA sequencing. The method for introducing repBAC is suitable for other C. crescentus strains or any bacterium with an adequately homologous recA gene. Application of the vector for protein expression, based on the type I secretion system of the S-layer protein, when compared to constructs in broad-host-range plasmids, resulted in reduced time and steps required from clone construction to recombinant protein recovery and increased protein yield.     

The S-Layer Proteins of Two Bacillus stearothermophilus Wild-Type Strains Are Bound via Their N-Terminal Region to a Secondary Cell Wall Polymer of Identical Chemical Composition

Two Bacillus stearothermophilus wild-type strains were investigated regarding a common recognition and binding mechanism between the S-layer protein and the underlying cell envelope layer. The S-layer protein from B. stearothermophilus PV72/p6 has a molecular weight of 130,000 and assembles into a hexagonally ordered lattice. The S-layer from B. stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 shows oblique lattice symmetry and is composed of subunits with a molecular weight of 122,000. Immunoblotting, peptide mapping, N-terminal sequencing of the whole S-layer protein from B. stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 and of proteolytic cleavage fragments, and comparison with the S-layer protein from B. stearothermophilus PV72/p6 revealed that the two S-layer proteins have identical N-terminal regions but no other extended structurally homologous domains. In contrast to the heterogeneity observed for the S-layer proteins, the secondary cell wall polymer isolated from peptidoglycan-containing sacculi of the different strains showed identical chemical compositions and comparable molecular weights. The S-layer proteins could bind and recrystallize into the appropriate lattice type on native peptidoglycan-containing sacculi from both organisms but not on those extracted with hydrofluoric acid, leading to peptidoglycan of the A1γ chemotype. Affinity studies showed that only proteolytic cleavage fragments possessing the complete N terminus of the mature S-layer proteins recognized native peptidoglycan-containing sacculi as binding sites or could associate with the isolated secondary cell wall polymer, while proteolytic cleavage fragments missing the N-terminal region remained unbound. From the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that S-layer proteins from B. stearothermophilus wild-type strains possess an identical N-terminal region which is responsible for anchoring the S-layer subunits to a secondary cell wall polymer of identical chemical composition.     

Localized insertion of new S-layer during growth of Bacillus stearothermophilus strains

Bacillus stearothermophilus strains PV 72 and ATCC 12980 carry a crystalline surface layer (S-layer) with hexagonal (p6) and oblique (p2) symmetry, respectively. Sites of insertions of new subunits into the regular lattice during cell growth have been determined by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique and the protein A/colloidal gold technique.During S-layer growth on both bacillus strains the following common features were noted: 1. shedding of intact S-layer or turnover of individual subunits was not seen; 2. new S-layer was deposited in helically-arranged bands over the cylindrical surface of the cell at a pitch angle related to the orientation of the lattice vectors of the crystalline array; 3. little or no S-layer was inserted into pre-existing S-layer at the poles, and 4. septal regions and, subsequently, newly formed cell poles were covered with new S-layer protein.     

Surface display of foreign epitopes on the Lactobacillus brevis S-layer

So far, the inability to establish viable Lactobacillus surface layer (S-layer) null mutants has hampered the biotechnological applications of Lactobacillus S-layers. In this study, we demonstrate the utilization of Lactobacillus brevis S-layer subunits (SlpA) for the surface display of foreign antigenic epitopes. With an inducible expression system, L. brevis strains producing chimeric S-layers were obtained after testing of four insertion sites in the slpA gene for poliovirus epitope VP1, that comprises 10 amino acids. The epitope insertion site allowing the best surface expression was used for the construction of an integration vector carrying the gene region encoding the c-Myc epitopes from the human c-myc proto-oncogene, which is composed of 11 amino acids. A gene replacement system was optimized for L. brevis and used for the replacement of the wild-type slpA gene with the slpA-c-myc construct. A uniform S-layer, displaying on its surface the desired antigen in all of the S-layer protein subunits, was obtained. The success of the gene replacement and expression of the uniform SlpA-c-Myc recombinant S-layer was confirmed by PCR, Southern blotting MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunofluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the integrity of the recombinant S-layer was studied by electron microscopy, which indicated that the S-layer lattice structure was not affected by the presence of c-Myc epitopes. To our knowledge, this is the first successful expression of foreign epitopes in every S-layer subunit of a Lactobacillus S-layer while still maintaining the S-layer lattice structure.     

The high-molecular-mass amylase (HMMA) of Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 interacts with the cell wall components by virtue of three specific binding regions

The complete nucleotide sequence encoding the high-molecular-mass amylase (HMMA) of Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 was established by PCR techniques. Based on the hmma gene sequence, the full-length rHMMA, four N- or C-terminal rHMMA truncations as well as three C-terminal rHMMA fragments were cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli . Purified rHMMA forms were used either for affinity studies with the recombinant (r) S-layer protein SbsC (rSbsC), peptidoglycan-containing sacculi (PGS) and pure peptidoglycan (PG) devoid of the secondary cell wall polymer (SCWP), or for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies using rSbsC and isolated SCWP. In the C-terminal part of the HMMA, three specific binding regions, one for each cell wall component (rSbsC, SCWP and PG), could be identified. The functionality of the PG-binding domain could be confirmed by replacing the main part of the SCWP-binding domain of an S-layer protein by the PG-binding domain of the HMMA. The present work describes a completely new and highly economic strategy for cell adhesion of an exoenzyme.     

Evidence that an N-terminal S-layer protein fragment triggers the release of a cell-associated high-molecular-weight amylase in Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 12980.

During growth on starch medium, the S-layer-carrying Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 and an S-layer-deficient variant each secreted three amylases, with identical molecular weights of 58,000, 122,000, and 184,000, into the culture fluid. Only the high-molecular-weight amylase (hmwA) was also identified as cell associated. Extraction and reassociation experiments showed that the hmwA had a high-level affinity to the peptidoglycan-containing layer and to the S-layer surface, but the interactions with the peptidoglycan-containing layer were stronger than those with the S-layer surface. For the S-layer-deficient variant, no changes in the amount of cell-associated and free hmwA could be observed during growth on starch medium, while for the S-layer-carrying strain, cell association of the hmwA strongly depended on the growth phase of the cells. The maximum amount of cell-associated hmwA was observed 3 h after inoculation, which corresponded to early exponential growth. The steady decrease in cell-associated hmwA during continued growth correlated with the appearance and the increasing intensity of a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 60,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. This protein had a high-level affinity to the peptidoglycan-containing layer and was identified as an N-terminal S-layer protein fragment which did not result from proteolytic cleavage of the whole S-layer protein but seems to be a truncated copy of the S-layer protein which is coexpressed with the hmwA under certain culture conditions. During growth on starch medium, the N-terminal S-layer protein fragment was integrated into the S-layer lattice, which led to the loss of its regular structure over a wide range and to the loss of amylase binding sites. Results obtained in the present study provide evidence that the N-terminal part of the S-layer protein is responsible for the anchoring of the subunits to the peptidoglycan-containing layer, while the surface-located C-terminal half could function as a binding site for the hmwA.