Conserved features and major differences in the outer membrane protein composition of chlamydiae
Karin Aistleitner1, Dorothea Anrather, Thomas Schott
1Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Environmental Microbiology
|September 13, 2014
Summary
Chlamydial outer membranes vary significantly between species. Some lack cysteine proteins, impacting their environmental stability and suggesting adaptations to different host niches.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Pathogenesis
- Proteomics
Background:
- Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria with a biphasic developmental cycle.
- Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are crucial for host cell attachment, uptake, and chlamydial integrity via disulfide bonds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To predict and analyze outer membrane proteins (OMPs) across three chlamydial families.
- To investigate the impact of OMP composition on chlamydial stability and environmental adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide consensus approach for OMP prediction.
- Proteomic analysis of purified chlamydial outer membrane fractions using mass spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in OMP composition were observed among chlamydial families.
- Simkania negevensis and Waddlia chondrophila outer membranes are rich in OMP-like proteins.
- Parachlamydia acanthamoebae outer membranes are dominated by uncharacterized porins.
- Simkania negevensis lacks stabilizing cysteine-rich proteins, unlike Parachlamydia and Waddlia.
- Simkania's cellular integrity is unaffected by disulfide bond-reducing conditions.
Conclusions:
- Outer membrane protein composition varies considerably across chlamydial families.
- The absence of cysteine-rich proteins in Simkania suggests unique stability and environmental adaptation strategies.
- Differences in OMPs likely reflect adaptations to specific host niches and transmission routes.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Bacterial Phylum Chlamydiae
830
The phylum Chlamydiae or Chlamydiota is composed of a single order, Chlamydiales. This phylum consists entirely of obligate intracellular parasites that infect eukaryotic hosts. While human pathogens within this group have been studied extensively, the phylum encompasses many species capable of interacting with various eukaryotic organisms. Members of Chlamydiae are typically small cocci, approximately 0.5 μm in diameter, and exhibit a distinctive developmental cycle. As is characteristic...
830
01:27Plasma Membrane in Bacteria and Archaea
3.1K
The plasma membrane is an essential cellular structure responsible for maintaining cellular integrity and regulating the selective transport of molecules. While bacteria and archaea share the fundamental function of plasma membranes, their structural and molecular differences reflect adaptations to distinct ecological and physiological challenges.Bacterial Plasma MembranesBacterial plasma membranes are predominantly composed of phospholipids with fatty acid chains ester-linked to a glycerol...
3.1K
01:51Prokaryotic Cells
109.0K
Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins....
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins....
109.0K
01:28Prokaryotic Cells
29.3K
Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains — Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize...
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize...
29.3K
01:22Bacterial Cell Wall
5.3K
The bacterial cell wall is an essential structural component that encases the plasma membrane, preserving cellular integrity, determining shape, and protecting against osmotic stress. This rigid yet flexible structure primarily comprises peptidoglycan, a polymer that forms a mesh-like matrix conferring mechanical strength and flexibility.Peptidoglycan Composition and StructurePeptidoglycan, the core of the bacterial cell wall, comprises alternating units of N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and...
5.3K
01:29Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria
3.4K
Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
3.4K