In Pursuit of Protein Targets: Proteomic Characterization of Bacterial Spore Outer Layers

• Published in: Journal of proteome research Vol. 12; no. 10; pp. 4507 - 4521
• Main Authors: Abhyankar, Wishwas, Hossain, Abeer H, Djajasaputra, André, Permpoonpattana, Patima, Ter Beek, Alexander, Dekker, Henk L, Cutting, Simon M, Brul, Stanley, de Koning, Leo J, de Koster, Chris G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 04.10.2013
• Subjects: Bacillus cereus - metabolism; Bacillus cereus - physiology; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Clostridium difficile - metabolism; Clostridium difficile - physiology; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Food Microbiology; Peptidoglycan - metabolism; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Proteome - metabolism; Spores, Bacterial - metabolism; spore coat; exosporium; B. cereus ATCC 14579; insoluble protein fraction; C. difficile 630
• ISSN: 1535-3893; 1535-3907
• DOI: 10.1021/pr4005629

Bacillus cereus, responsible for food poisoning, and Clostridium difficile, the causative agent of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), are both spore-forming pathogens involved in food spoilage, food intoxication, and other infections in humans and animals. The proteinaceous coat and the exosporium layers from spores are important for their resistance and pathogenicity characteristics. The exosporium additionally provides an ability to adhere to surfaces eventually leading to spore survival in food. Thus, studying these layers and identifying suitable protein targets for rapid detection and removal of spores is of the utmost importance. In this study, we identified 100 proteins from B. cereus spore coat, exosporium and 54 proteins from the C. difficile coat insoluble protein fraction. In an attempt to define a universal set of spore outer layer proteins, we identified 11 superfamily domains common to the identified proteins from two Bacilli and one Clostridium species. The evaluated orthologue relationships of identified proteins across different spore formers resulted in a set of 13 coat proteins conserved across the spore formers and 12 exosporium proteins conserved in the B. cereus group, which could be tested for quick and easy detection or targeted in strategies aimed at removal of spores from surfaces.