Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

V. Functions of S-layers

1997; Oxford University Press; Volume: 20; Issue: 1-2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1574-6976.1997.tb00305.x

1574-6976

Terrance Beveridge, Peter H. Pouwels, Margit Sára, Anja Kotiranta, Kari Lounatmaa, Kirsti Kari, Eero Kerosuo, Markus Haapasalo, Eva M. Egelseer, I Schocher, Uwe B. Sleytr, Lorenzo Morelli, Maria Luisa Callegari, John F. Nomellini, Wade H. Bingle, John Smit, Emmanuelle Leibovitz, Marc Lemaire, Isabelle Miras, Sylvie Salamitou, Pierre Béguin, Hélène Ohayon, Pierre Gounon, Markus Matuschek, Kerstin Sahm, Hubert Bahl, Rosemary Grogono‐Thomas, Joel Dworkin, Martin J. Blaser, R M Woodland, Diane G. Newell, Martin Kessel, Susan F. Koval,

Microbial Applications in Construction Materials

Although S-layers are being increasingly identified on Bacteria and Archaea, it is enigmatic that in most cases S-layer function continues to elude us. In a few instances, S-layers have been shown to be virulence factors on pathogens (e.g. Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus and Aeromonas salmonicida), protective against Bdellovibrio, a depository for surface-exposed enzymes (e.g. Bacillus stearothermophilus), shape-determining agents (e.g. Thermoproteus tenax) and nucleation factors for fine-grain mineral development (e.g. Synechococcus GL 24). Yet, for the vast majority of S-layered bacteria, the natural function of these crystalline arrays continues to be evasive. The following review up-dates the functional basis of S-layers and describes such diverse topics as the effect of S-layers on the Gram stain, bacteriophage adsorption in lactobacilli, phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, the adhesion of a high-molecular-mass amylase, outer membrane porosity, and the secretion of extracellular enzymes of Thermoanaerobacterium. In addition, the functional aspect of calcium on the Caulobacter S-layer is explained.