Does heat stress upregulate S layer production in Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a? – Indication of a novel function of bacterial S layer proteins?
Abstract
Living organisms have developed numerous strategies to cope with the competitive conditions of their natural environments. Two-dimensional crystalline surface layers (S layers), present as outmost cell envelope layer of many bacteria, are considered to be one of those strategies. Despite their prevalence in nature, only a few distinct functions could be attributed to S layer proteins, so far. However, it is just their in vivo functions from which novel applications may emerge. Because of their self-assembly capability and their periodicity down to the sub-nanometer scale, a high application potential is attributed to S-layers in the field of nanobiotechnology. Recent investigations with Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a in our laboratory, for the first time, link S layer synthesis with heat stress cultivation. The current hypothesis of a potentially new type of heat stress response associated with S layer synthesis is derived from the following findings. i) The mRNA level of the S layer gene sgsE is increased when the organism is cultivated at its maximum tolerable growth temperature (67°C) compared to the physiological growth temperature (55°C); ii) by in silico analysis we find that the potential regulatory regions located in the upstream region of sgsE only conform to a limited extent to any of the known transcription factors or sigma protein binding motifs, and iii) the heat stress response is also reflected on the SgsE protein level. The studies outlined in the present proposal will contribute to the understanding of the regulation of the bacterial heat shock response in an S layer model system. In this context, a distinct, novel function for S layer proteins might emerge. The experimental approach is designed to allow i) temperature-dependent correlation of sgsE transcription and translation and ii) characterization of the sgsE upstream region. These studies may open new strategies for manipulating gene expression by temperature variation and for constructing a novel, temperature-inducible expression vector system based on the S-layer gene regulation system of G. stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a.
keywords S-layer gene reguation heat stress S-layer function Geobacillus stearothermophilus
Publikationen
Novel biocatalysts based on S-layer self-assembly of Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a: a nanobiotechnological approach.
Autoren: Schäffer, C; Novotny, R; Küpcü, S; Zayni, S; Scheberl, A; Friedmann, J; Sleytr, UB; Messner, P; Jahr: 2007
Journal articles
S-layer nanoglycobiology of bacteria.
Autoren: Messner, P; Steiner, K; Zarschler, K; Schäffer, C; Jahr: 2008
Journal articles
Molecular basis of S-layer glycoprotein glycan biosynthesis in Geobacillus stearothermophilus.
Autoren: Steiner, K; Novotny, R; Werz, DB; Zarschler, K; Seeberger, PH; Hofinger, A; Kosma, P; Schäffer, C; Messner, P Jahr: 2008
Journal articles
Recombinant glycans on an S-layer self-assembly protein: a new dimension for nanopatterned biomaterials.
Autoren: Steiner, K; Hanreich, A; Kainz, B; Hitchen, PG; Dell, A; Messner, P; Schäffer, C Jahr: 2008
Journal articles
Nanobiotechnological Applications of S-Layers
Autoren: Sleytr, U.B., Egelseer, E.M., Ilk, N., Messner, P., Schäffer, C., Pum, D., Schuster, B. Jahr: 2010
Chapter in collected volumes
S-Layers, Microbial, Biotechnological Applications
Autoren: Egelseer, E.M., Ilk, N., Pum, D., Messner, P., Schäffer, C., Schuster, B., Sleytr, U.B. Jahr: 2010
Chapter in collected volumes
Project staff
Christina Schäffer
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Christina Schäffer
christina.schaeffer@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-80203
BOKU Project Leader
01.01.2007 - 31.12.2007
BOKU partners
External partners
Universität Graz, Instuitut für Pharmazeutische Chemie
Andreas Kungl
partner