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Abstract

Classically, outer membranes are half lipid, half protein, and the outmost layers of Gram- negative bacteria. For Caulobacter crescentus the outer membrane is the penultimate layer beneath a protein surface layer (S-layer). The S-layer of the caulobacter cell envelope is an exciting platform for high density peptide display and biotechnology development. We focused on elucidating the structure of the outer membrane by crystallizing the S-layer protein, RsaA; solving the structure of the the lipopolysaccharide; and characterizing a newly discovered porin, OmpW. S-layer proteins are highly resistant to crystallization, because wo-dimensional S-layer formation out competes three-dimensional crystal formation. To achieve a crystallisable form of RsaA, a C-terminal truncation version was constructed and expressed in the native host, C. crescentus. The secreted protein was prone to aggregation, so low agitation and slow concentration protocols had to be developed. The RsaA truncate produced large crystals that diffracted to