title: Binding of the major phasin, PhaP1, from Ralstonia eutropha H16 to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) granules.
abstract: The surface of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) storage granules in bacteria is covered mainly by proteins referred to as phasins. The layer of phasins stabilizes the granules and prevents coalescence of separated granules in the cytoplasm and nonspecific binding of other proteins to the hydrophobic surfaces of the granules. Phasin PhaP1(Reu) is the major surface protein of PHB granules in Ralstonia eutropha H16 and occurs along with three homologues (PhaP2, PhaP3, and PhaP4) that have the capacity to bind to PHB granules but are present at minor levels. All four phasins lack a highly conserved domain but share homologous hydrophobic regions. To identify the region of PhaP1(Reu) which is responsible for the binding of the protein to the granules, N-terminal and C-terminal fusions of enhanced green fluorescent protein with PhaP1(Reu) or various regions of PhaP1(Reu) were generated by recombinant techniques. The fusions were localized in the cells of various recombinant strains by fluorescence microscopy, and their presence in different subcellular protein fractions was determined by immunodetection of blotted proteins. The fusions were also analyzed to determine their capacities to bind to isolated PHB granules in vitro. The results of these studies indicated that unlike the phasin of Rhodococcus ruber, there is no discrete binding motif; instead, several regions of PhaP1(Reu) contribute to the binding of this protein to the surface of the granules. The conclusions are supported by the results of a small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of purified PhaP1(Reu), which revealed that PhaP1(Reu) is a planar, triangular protein that occurs as trimer. This study provides new insights into the structure of the PHB granule surface, and the results should also have an impact on potential biotechnological applications of phasin fusion proteins and PHB granules in nanobiotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 3, D-48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Liv
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spinozzi
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinibaldi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rustichelli
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pötter
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinbüchel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D020118:Cupriavidus necator / Q000737:chemistry*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D037121:Plant Lectins; D011091:Polyesters; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; C008825:phasin; C003182:poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates