Alginate Biosynthesis Factories in Pseudomonas fluorescens: Localization and Correlation with Alginate Production Level

Susan Maleki, Eivind Almaas, Sergey Zotchev, Svein Valla, Helga Ertesvåg

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

Pseudomonas fluorescens is able to produce the medically and industrially important exopolysaccharide alginate. The proteins involved in alginate biosynthesis and secretion form a multiprotein complex spanning the inner and outer membranes. In the present study, we developed a method by which the porin AlgE was detected by immunogold labeling and transmission electron microscopy. Localization of the AlgE protein was found to depend on the presence of other proteins in the multiprotein complex. No correlation was found between the number of alginate factories and the alginate production level, nor were the numbers of these factories affected in an algC mutant that is unable to produce the precursor needed for alginate biosynthesis. Precursor availability and growth phase thus seem to be the main determinants for the alginate production rate in our strain. Clustering analysis demonstrated that the alginate multiprotein complexes were not distributed randomly over the entire outer cell membrane surface.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1227-1236
Number of pages10
JournalApplied and Environmental Microbiology
Volume82
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2016
Externally publishedYes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 106013 Genetics
  • 106002 Biochemistry
  • 106022 Microbiology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Alginate Biosynthesis Factories in Pseudomonas fluorescens: Localization and Correlation with Alginate Production Level'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this