[Methods of isolation and polypeptide composition of membrane fractions of Rickettsia prowazekii]

The methods of cell lysis by lysozyme in tris-EDTA-sucrose with the consequent disruption of spheroplasts by the osmotic shock were used to obtain the total membranes from the intact or temperature-inactivated Rickettsia prowazekii. Detergents solubilization methods were used for analysis of outer membrane proteins. Sarcosyl insoluble material is shown to contain the main 134, 31, 29.5 and 25 Kd proteins, the minor 78, 60, 42, 17 Kd proteins, while the mixture of both membranes possess a more complex composition. Treatment of total membranes by the 2% octylglycoside results in elimination of the 31 Kd polypeptide. Inactivated Rickettsia can be used for isolation of the outer layer proteins diminishing the risk of working with this pathogenic microorganism.