2 kDa, in agreement with a trimeric structure (Figure 2B). Figure 2 Quaternary structure analysis of YqiC. (A) Chemical cross-linking. Cross-linked products were separated via 15% SDS-PAGE followed by Coomassie brilliant blue staining. Protein markers are shown in kilodaltons. The numbers 0, 0.5, 1, and 5 indicate the millimolar concentrations of ethylene glycol bis (succinimidyl succinate) used. (B) Gel filtration coupled to SLS analysis. The protein was run on a Superdex-75 column

and eluted with 50 mM Tris-HCl, 150 mM NaCl buffer (pH 8). The molecular mass of the protein was calculated relating its light scattering at 90° (dashed line) and refractive index (solid line) signals, and comparison of this value with that obtained for BSA as a standard. The characteristics described here are similar to the structural www.selleckchem.com/products/sbe-b-cd.html features that we have previously reported for Brucella abortus BMFP, which is a member of the COG 2960

that only conserves 22% sequence identity with YqiC [9]. YiqC promotes membrane fusion in vitro As YqiC shares structural WH-4-023 chemical structure properties with BMFP, we investigated if this protein also conserves the membrane fusion activity reported for BMFP [9]. With this aim, we measured the increase in the size and aqueous content mixing of phospholipids vesicles produced after YqiC addition. Changes in the size and aggregation state of vesicles were evaluated by turbidity measurements at 400 nm whereas the aqueous content mixing was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence of the Tb-DPA complex produced upon fusion of vesicles containing TbCl3 or DPA encapsulated in their Grape seed extract aqueous interior phase, and the percentage of mixing was calculated as described in materials and methods. Experiments were carried out on small unilamellar vesicles composed of a mixture of DPPC and DPPA in a 75:25 molar ratio, both at acid or neutral pH. YqiC produced both a significant increase in the turbidity (Figure 3A) and aqueous content mixing (Figure 3B) in the vesicle solutions, mainly at acid pH, after addition of YqiC. These results indicate that YqiC has a pH-dependent in vitro fusogenic activity. Figure

3 In vitro liposome aggregation and fusion induced by YqiC. (A) Time course of DPPC/DPPA SUV aggregation monitored by light scattering and (B) time course of aqueous content mixing was measured after addition of YqiC protein. Equimolar amounts of terbium (Tb)- and dipicolinic acid (DPA)-loaded SUV were premixed in 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), 50 mM NaCl, and 1 mM EDTA. The fluorescence of the Tb(DPA)3 complex formed after the mixing of aqueous contents by protein addition was measured at 545 nm over incubation time. The measurements were taken in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.0) (open circles) or 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.0) (close circles) at 25°C. The liposomes were composed of DPPC and DPPA in a molar ratio of 75:25. The lipid:protein molar ratio was 100: 1.