The structure of a periodic cell wall component (HPI-layer of Micrococcus radiodurans).
TL;DRAbstract
The hexagonally packed interlayer (HPI-layer) from Micrococcus radiodurans cell walls has been studied by electron microscopy and subsequent digital image processing. The most prominent feature in the average images is a "complex" shaped like a "toothed wheel", which is perforated by a central pore and interconnected by fine spokes. This basic structural element is tentatively interpreted to represent the bulk of HPI-layer protein, intercalated by the other constituents: lipids, carotenoids and carbohydrates. It is suggested that the "toothed wheel" structure is a quite common element of periodic bacterial surface layers and that the different spacings observed with various species are due to variable amounts of intercalating material.
Chat with Paper
AI Agents for this Paper
The hexagonally packed interlayer (HPI-layer) from Micrococcus radiodurans cell walls has been studied by electron microscopy and subsequent digital image processing. The most prominent feature in the average images is a "complex" shaped like a "toothed wheel", which is perforated by a central pore and interconnected by fine spokes. This basic structural element is tentatively interpreted to represent the bulk of HPI-layer protein, intercalated by the other constituents: lipids, carotenoids and carbohydrates. It is suggested that the "toothed wheel" structure is a quite common element of periodic bacterial surface layers and that the different spacings observed with various species are due to variable amounts of intercalating material.
Keywords
Chat
Click to start Chat