title: Identification of multiple putative S-layer genes partly expressed by Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53.
abstract: Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 was isolated from the uranium mining waste pile Haberland near Johanngeorgenstadt, Germany. Previous studies have shown that many bacteria that have been isolated from these heavy metal contaminated environments possess surface layer (S-layer) proteins that enable the bacteria to survive by binding metals with high affinity. Conversely, essential trace elements are able to cross the filter layer and reach the interior of the cell. This is especially true of the S-layer of L. sphaericus JG-B53, which possesses outstanding recrystallization and metal-binding properties. In this study, S-layer protein gene sequences encoded in the genome of L. sphaericus JG-B53 were identified using next-generation sequencing technology followed by bioinformatic analyses. The genome of L. sphaericus JG-B53 encodes at least eight putative S-layer protein genes with distinct differences. Using mRNA analysis the expression of the putative S-layer protein genes was studied. The functional S-layer protein B53 Slp1 was identified as the dominantly expressed S-layer protein in L. sphaericus JG-B53 by mRNA studies, SDS-PAGE and N-terminal sequencing. B53 Slp1 is characterized by square lattice symmetry and a molecular mass of 116 kDa. The S-layer protein B53 Slp1 shows a high similarity to the functional S-layer protein of L. sphaericus JG-A12, which was isolated from the same uranium mining waste pile Haberland and has been described by previous research. These similarities indicate horizontal gene transfer and DNA rearrangements between these bacteria. The presence of multiple S-layer gene copies may enable the bacterial strains to quickly adapt to changing environments.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz-Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lederer
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz-Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Weinert
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz-Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.|Helmholtz-Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiß
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz-Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pollmann
mesh_terms: D001406:Bacillaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019295:Computational Biology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005858:Germany; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C055764:S-layer proteins