ジャーナル: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A / 年: 2022 タイトル: The structured organization of ' cell envelope. 著者: Domenica Farci / Patrycja Haniewicz / Dario Piano / 要旨: Surface layers (S-layers) are highly ordered coats of proteins localized on the cell surface of many bacterial species. In these structures, one or more proteins form elementary units that self- ...Surface layers (S-layers) are highly ordered coats of proteins localized on the cell surface of many bacterial species. In these structures, one or more proteins form elementary units that self-assemble into a crystalline monolayer tiling the entire cell surface. Here, the cell envelope of the radiation-resistant bacterium was studied by cryo-electron microscopy, finding the crystalline regularity of the S-layer extended into the layers below (outer membrane, periplasm, and inner membrane). The cell envelope appears to be highly packed and resulting from a three-dimensional crystalline distribution of protein complexes organized in close continuity yet allowing a certain degree of free space. The presented results suggest how S-layers, at least in some species, are mesoscale assemblies behaving as structural and functional scaffolds essential for the entire cell envelope.