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Characterization of a proteinaceous extracellular coat synthesized by the “slime” variant of Neurospora crassa

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Abstract

Cells of the “slime” strain of Neurospora crassa synthesize a coherent extracellular material which remains attached to the cell surface, but is released into the liquid medium by shaking. The material was purified and studied by different criteria. By electron microscopy it appears as long wavy sheets which strongly bind concanavalin A, but not wheat germ agglutinin, and maintain their integrity in the absence of structural polysaccharides. Analysis of the purified material revealed that it was free of contaminating membranes; it contained more than 70% protein, 1% neutral sugars (glucose, mannose, fucose and galactose), less than 2% lipids and ca. 4% not-characterized hexosaminelike compounds. Its polypeptide pattern as determined by PAGE was complex. The significance of this material is discussed.

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Abbreviations

Au-WGA:

colloidal gold-wheat germ agglutinin

Endo H:

endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase H

Fe-Con A:

ferritin labcled concanavalin A

FITC-Con A:

fluorescent concanavalin A

PEM:

proteinaceous extracellular material

PMSF:

phenylmethyl sulfphonyl fluoride

BSDA:

bovine serum albumin

CTAB:

cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide

DOC-Na:

sodium deoxychlate

DTT:

dl-dithiothreitol

EDTA:

ethylene diamine tetracetic acid

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Author notes

  1. J. Ruiz-Herrera

    Present address: Instituto de Investigacion en Biologia Experimental, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad de Guanajuato, Apartado Postal 187, 36000, Guanajuato, Gto, Mexico

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department de Microbiologia, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    J. P. Martinez, M. L. Gil, M. Casanova, M. Rico, R. Sentandreu & J. Ruiz-Herrera

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  1. J. P. Martinez
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  2. M. L. Gil
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  3. M. Casanova
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  4. M. Rico
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  5. R. Sentandreu
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  6. J. Ruiz-Herrera
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Martinez, J.P., Gil, M.L., Casanova, M. et al. Characterization of a proteinaceous extracellular coat synthesized by the “slime” variant of Neurospora crassa . Arch. Microbiol. 152, 25–32 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447007

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447007

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