Molecular Microbiology
Volume 51 Issue 3 Page 609  - February 2004
doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03864.x

 

Tomographic reconstruction of treponemal cytoplasmic filaments reveals novel bridging and anchoring components

Jacques Izard1,3*, Bruce F. McEwen2,3, Rita M. Barnard2, Thomas Portuese2, William A. Samsonoff2 and Ronald J. Limberger1,3

 Summary

An understanding of the involvement of bacterial cytoplasmic filaments in cell division requires the elucidation of the structural organization of those filamentous structures. Treponemal cytoplasmic filaments are composed of one protein, CfpA, and have been demonstrated to be involved in cell division. In this study, we used electron tomography to show that the filaments are part of a complex with a novel molecular organization that includes at least two distinct features decorating the filaments. One set of components appears to anchor the filaments to the cytoplasmic membrane. The other set of components appears to bridge the cytoplasmic filaments on the cytoplasmic side, and to be involved in the interfilament spacing within the cell. The filaments occupy between 3 and 18% of the inner surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. These results reveal a novel filamentous molecular organization of independent filaments linked by bridges and continuously anchored to the membrane.

Affiliations

1New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, David Axelrod Institute for Public Health, PO Box 22002, Albany, New York 12201-2002, USA.
2New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Biggs Laboratory, PO Box 509, Albany, New York 12201-0509, USA.
3Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York 12201, USA.


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