title: The sequence of the major gas vesicle protein, GvpA, influences the width and strength of halobacterial gas vesicles.
abstract: Transformation experiments with Haloferax volcanii show that the amino acid sequence of the gas vesicle protein GvpA influences the morphology and strength of gas vesicles produced by halophilic archaea. A modified expression vector containing p-gvpA was used to complement a Vac(-) strain of Hfx. volcanii that harboured the entire p-vac region (from Halobacterium salinarum PHH1) except for p-gvpA. Replacement of p-gvpA with mc-gvpA (from Haloferax mediterranei) led to the synthesis of gas vesicles that were narrower and stronger. Other gene replacements (using c-gvpA from Hbt. salinarum or mutated p-gvpA sequences) led to a significant but smaller increase in gas vesicle strength, and less marked effects on gas vesicle morphology.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, UK.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Beard
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Felicitas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Walsby
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D016931:Halobacteriales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D011506:Proteins; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C038524:gas vesicle protein