Gas vesicles isolated from Halobacterium cells by lysis in hypotonic solution are structurally weakened

Aharon Oren, Nuphar Pri-El, Orr Shapiro, Nachshon Siboni

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Analysis of pressure-collapse curves of Halobacterium cells containing gas vesicles and of gas vesicles released from such cells by hypotonic lysis shows that the isolated gas vesicles are considerably weaker than those present within the cells: their mean critical collapse pressure was around 0.049-0.058 MPa, as compared to 0.082-0.095 MPa for intact cells. The hypotonic lysis procedure, which is widely used for the isolation of gas vesicles from members of the Halobacteriaceae, thus damages the mechanical properties of the vesicles. The phenomenon can possibly be attributed to the loss of one or more structural gas vesicle proteins such as GvpC, the protein that strengthens the vesicles built of GvpA subunits: Halobacterium GvpC is a highly acidic, typically "halophilic" protein, expected to denature in the absence of molar concentrations of salt.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)337-341
Number of pages5
JournalFEMS Microbiology Letters
Volume252
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Nov 2005

Keywords

  • Gas vesicles
  • GvpC
  • Halobacterium

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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