title: Antigen 43, a phase-variable bipartite outer membrane protein, determines colony morphology and autoaggregation in Escherichia coli K-12.
abstract: The product controlling colony form variation and autoaggregation in Escherichia coli K-12 (the flu gene product) has been identified as the phase-variable, bipartite, outer membrane protein, termed antigen 43 (Ag43). Identification is based: (i) on complete correlation in authentic flu variants between colony morphology/autoaggregation and Ag43 expression as determined by colony and Western immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy; and (ii) on the use of a specific probe to map the gene encoding Ag43 to a position (min 43) on the E. coli chromosome previously established for flu.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meehan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015342:DNA Probes; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D015342:DNA Probes