Table Of ContentSubcellular
Biochemistry
20
Volume
Mycoplasma Cell Membranes
SUBCELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
SERIES EDITOR
1. R. HARRIS, Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
ASSISTANT EDITORS
H. J. HILDERSON, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
D. A. WALL, SrnithKIine Beecham Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Recent Volumes in This Series:
Volumes 5-11 Edited by Donald B. Roodyn
Volume 12 Immunological Aspects
Edited by J. R. Harris
Volume 13 Fluorescence Studies on Biological Membranes
Edited by H. J. Hilderson
Volume 14 Artificial and Reconstituted Membrane Systems
Edited by J. R. Harris and A.-H. Etemadi
Volume 15 Virally Infected Cells
Edited by J. R. Harris
Volume 16 Intracellular Transfer of Lipid Molecules
Edited by H. J. Hilderson
Volume 17 Plant Genetic Engineering
Edited by B. B. Biswas and J. R. Harris
Volume 18 Intracellular Parasites
Edited by J. L. Avila and J. R. Harris
Volume 19 Endocytic Components: Identification and Characterization
Edited by J. J. M. Bergeron and J. R. Harris
Volume 20 Mycoplasma Cell Membranes
Edited by S. Rottem and I. Kahane
A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of
each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual shipment.
For further information please contact the publisher.
Subcellular
Biochemistry
20
Volume
Mycoplasma Cell Membranes
Edited by
Shlomo Rottem
and
Itzhak Kahane
Department of Membrane arni Ultrastructure Research
The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School
Je1USalem, Israel
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
The Ubrary of Congress cataloged the frrst volume of this titIe as follows:
Sub-cellular biochemistry.
London, New York, Plenum Press.
v. iIIus. 23 cm. quarterly.
Began with Sept. 1971 issue. Cf. New serial titIes.
1. Cytochemistry-Periodicals. 2. Cell organeller-Periodica1s.
QH611.S84 574.8'76 73-643479
ISBN 978-1-4613-6269-2 ISBN 978-1-4615-2924-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-2924-8
This series is a continuation of the joumal Sub-Cellular Biochemistry.
Volumes 1 to 4 ofwhich were published quarterly from 1972 to 1975
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Origina11y published by Plenum Press in 1993
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 1st edition 1993
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INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY EDITORIAL BOARD
J. L. AVILA, Instituto de Biomedicina, Caracas, Venezuela
J. J. M. BERGERON, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
B. B. BISWA S, Bose Institute, Calcutta, India
N. BORGESE, CNR Center for Pharmacological Study, Milan, Italy
M. J. COSTELLO, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
N. CRAWFORD, Royal College of Surgeons, London, England
A.-H. ETEMADI, University of Paris VI, Paris, France
W. H. EVANS, National Institute for Medical Research, London, England
H. GLAUMANN, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
D. R. HEADON, University College Galway, Galway, Ireland
P. L. J0RGENSEN, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
J. KIM, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
J. B. LLOYD, University of Keele, Keele, England
J. A. LUCY, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, England
A. H. MADDY, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
J. D. MORRE, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
P. QUINN, King's College London, London, England
G. RALSTON, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
S. ROTTEM, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
M. R. 1. SALTON, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
G. SCHATIEN, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
F. S. SJOSTRAND, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
F. WUNDERLICH, University of Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany
G. ZAMPIGHI, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
I. B. ZBARSKY, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Contributors
Joel B. Baseman Department of Microbiology, The University of Texas
Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78284
Robert Bittman Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens Col-
lege of The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367
J. M. Bove Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, INRA and the
University of Bordeaux II, 33883 Villenave d'Omon Cedex, France
Vincent P. Cirillo Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State Uni-
versity of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794
Jean Dahl Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston,
Massachusetts 02115
x.
Foissac Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, INRA and the
University of Bordeaux II, 33883 Villenave d'Omon Cedex, France
Shulamith Horowitz Mycoplasma Laboratory, Department of Microbiology
and Immunology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 84105,
Israel
Itzhak Kahane Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, The
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Goran Lindblom Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Umea,
S-901 87 Umea, Sweden
Ronald N. McElhaney Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
F. Chris Minion Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Iowa State Univer-
sity, Ames, Iowa 50011
vii
viii Contributors
Shmuel Razin Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, The
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Leif Rilfors Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Umea, S-901
87 Umea, Sweden
Ricardo F. Rosenbusch Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Iowa State
University, Ames, Iowa 50011
Shlomo Rottem Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, The
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Colette Saillard Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, INRA and
the University of Bordeaux II, 33883 Villenave d'Omon Cedex, France
Mitchell H. Shirvan Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah University Hospi-
tal, Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Ake Wieslander Department of Biochemistry, University of Umea, S-901
87 Umea, Sweden
Preface
The mycoplasmas, a trivial name used to denote organisms included in the class
Mollicutes, are a group of prokaryotic organisms comprising more than 120
species distinguished from ordinary bacteria by their small size and the total lack
of cell walls. The absence of a cell wall in mycoplasmas is a characteristic of
outstanding importance to which the mycoplasmas owe many of their pecu
liarities, for example, their morphological instability, osmotic sensitivity, unique
ion pumping systems, resistance to antibiotics that interfere with cell wall bio
synthesis, and susceptibility to lysis by detergents and alcohols.
The fact that the mycoplasma cells contain only one membrane type, the
plasma membrane, constitutes one of their most useful properties for membrane
studies; once the membrane is isolated, it is uncontaminated with other mem
brane types. Another advantage in using mycoplasmas as models for membrane
studies stems from the fact that their membrane lipid composition can be altered
in a controlled manner. This characteristic results from the partial or total inabili
ty of the mycoplasmas to synthesize long-chain fatty acids and cholesterol,
making mycoplasmas dependent on the supply of fatty acids from the growth
medium. The ability to introduce controlled alterations in the fatty acid composi
tion and cholesterol content of mycoplasma membranes has been utilized in
studying the molecular organization and physical properties of biological mem
branes.
Many developments have occurred over the last decade in our methods of
studying the abundance, sequence, structural organization, and function of my
coplasma membrane proteins. These studies took into consideration the struc
tural simplicity of mycoplasmas, the relatively low coding capacity of their
genome, and the ecological niches of these organisms (many of them live in
close association with eukaryotic host cells as membrane surface parasites). The
recent developments in identifying and characterizing mycoplasma membrane
components that act as adhesins will shape and direct future efforts toward
understanding the mechanism of adherence to infected target tissue, the bio
synthesis of the adhesins, and their molecular organization.
The present volume is the first attempt to bring together in a comprehensive
ix
x Preface
and comparative way the vast knowledge accumulated on the mycoplasma cell
membranes. We hope that this volume, written by experts in their fields, will
provide an up-to-date, exhaustive treatment of the subject and an impetus for
mycoplasma membrane research in the future.
Shlomo Rottem
Itzhak Kahane
Jerusalem, Israel
Contents
Chapter 1
Mycoplasma Membranes as Models in Membrane Research
Shmuel Razin
1. An Introduction to Mollicutes
2. Characterization of Mycoplasma Membranes ............ .... . 4
2.1. Proof for Lack of a Cell Wall in Mycoplasmas ..... .... . 4
2.2. Development of Procedures for Mycoplasma
Membrane Isolation ............................... . 5
2.3. Chemical Analysis of Isolated Membranes ............ . 5
2.4. Localization of Membrane Enzymes and Transport
Systems ......................................... . 7
3. Elucidating Membrane Organization ....................... . 8
3.1. The Membrane Reconstitution Approach .............. . 8
3.2. The Membrane Lipid Manipulation Approach .......... . 13
3.3. Transbilayer Disposition of Membrane Lipids
and Proteins ..................................... . 19
4. Role of Membrane Components in Pathogenicity ............. . 21
5. Future Prospects ....................................... . 22
6. References ............................................ . 22
Chapter 2
Mycoplasma Membrane Lipids: Chemical Composition
and Transbilayer Distribution
Robert Bittman
1. Introduction............................................ 29
2. Lipid Composition of Mycoplasmas ........................ 30
2.1. Glycolipids ....................................... 33
2.2. Phospholipids ..................................... 34
xi
