title: Selective acylation of plasma membrane proteins of Mycoplasma agalactiae: the causal agent of agalactia.
abstract: Revealed by in vivo labeling with (14)C-palmitic acid, about 15 acylated proteins were identified in the plasma membrane of Mycoplasma agalactiae (type strain PG2), including the major component p40. Triton X-114 phase partitioning and Western blotting demonstrated the amphiphilic properties of the acyl proteins and showed that they were also antigenic components. Chemical analyses of fatty acids bound to proteins revealed the following selectivity order within acylation: stearic acid (18:0) > linoleic acid (18:2c) approximately palmitic acid (16:0) > oleic acid (18:1c) > myristic acid (14:0), with 16:0 and 18:1c preferred for the O-acylation and 18:0 for the N-acylation. The ratio [O-ester- + amide-bound acyl chains]/O-ester-linked chains being close to 1.4 as well as the presence of S-glycerylcysteine suggest that acyl proteins in M. agalactiae are true lipoproteins containing N-acyl diacyl glycerylcysteine, probably processed by a mechanism analogous to that described for Gram-negative eubacteria.
authors.affiliation: Université de Rennes 1, UPRES-A CNRS 6026, Groupe "Membranes et Osmorégulation," Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes Cedex, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Le Hénaff
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Guéguen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fontenelle
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007775:Lactation Disorders / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017830:Octoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C031164:glycerylcysteine; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017830:Octoxynol; C010615:Nonidet P-40; D003545:Cysteine