This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beveridge, T J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Beveridge, T J

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1979 September; 139(3): 1039-1048

Surface arrays on the wall of Sporosarcina ureae.

T J Beveridge

ABSTRACT

Thin sections of the cell wall of Sporosarcina ureae revealed two structurally distinct layers: a continuous amorphous zone, approximately 15 nm thick, which was adjacent to the plasma membrane, and an overlying periodic zone, approximately 16 nm thick. Sequential Triton X-100 and lysozyme treatment of isolated walls produced small fragments of the outer regular structure which allowed high-resolution, negatively stained images suitable for optical diffractometric analysis. These data suggested a tetragonal array of complex polygonal units of C-C spacing = 12 nm, with each unit joined to another by two delicate linkers. The array was entirely proteinaceous, consisting of a 150,000-dalton polypeptide which had a high affinity for Mg2+. It proved to be sensitive to chelating agents, 5 mM concentrations of Ca2+, Sr2+, or Ba2+, proteases, heat greater than or equal to 45 degrees C, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and pH greater than or equal to 5.8, but magnesium offered protection against the chelating agents and the deleterious salts.

---

J Bacteriol. 1979 September; 139(3): 1039-1048

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Pease, A. J., Roa, B. R., Luo, W., Winkler, M. E. (2002). Positive Growth Rate-Dependent Regulation of the pdxA, ksgA, and pdxB Genes of Escherichia coli K-12. J. Bacteriol. 184: 1359-1369 [Abstract] [Full Text]