Phylogenetic analysis and heterologous expression of surface layer protein SlpC of Bacillus sphaericus C3-41

The surface layer protein encoding genes from five mosquito-pathogenic Bacillus sphaericus isolates were amplified and sequenced. Negative staining of the S-layer protein extracted from the cell wall of wild-type B. sphaericus C3-41 was prepared. It showed a flat-sheet crystal lattice structure. Two genes encoding the entire and N-terminally truncated S-layer protein (slpC and DeltaslpC respectively), were ligated into plasmid pET28a and expressed in Escherichia coli. SDS-PAGE revealed that about 130 KD and 110 KD proteins could be expressed in the cytoplasm of recombinant E. coli BL21(pET28a/slpC) and E. coli BL21(pET28a/DeltaslpC) respectively. Furthermore, an intracellular sheet-like or fingerprint-shape structure was investigated in two recombinant strains, which expressed SlpC and DeltaSlpC protein respectively, by ultrathin microscopy study, but bioassay results suggested that the S-layer protein of wild B. sphaericus C3-41 and recombinant E. coli BL21 (pET28a/slpC) have no direct toxicity against mosquito larvae. These results should provide information for further understanding of the function of S-layer protein of pathogenic B. sphaericus.