Sequence, cloning, expression and characterisation of the 81-kDa surface membrane protein (P80) of Mycoplasma agalactiae

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 202; no. 1; pp. 45 - 50
• Main Authors: Tola, S., Crobeddu, S., Chessa, G., Uzzau, S., Idini, G., Ibba, B., Rocca, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 07-08-2001
• Subjects: Mycoplasma agalactiae; Overexpression; P80 surface protein; Sequence; Mycoplasma agalactiae; Overexpression; Sequence; P80 surface protein
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1097(01)00234-8

Mycoplasma agalactiae, the causative agent of contagious agalactia in small ruminants, produces a protein, named P80, that is detectable in all wild-type isolates examined to date and that appears expressed during the early phase of infection. We describe here the identification, cloning and expression of the gene encoding P80 (
ma-mp81). The deduced amino acid sequence is consistent with a hydrophobic and basic protein that possesses a lipoprotein signal peptide. Sequence analysis of gene
ma-mp81 suggests that P80 is a membrane lipoprotein that shows significant homology with other putative lipoproteins of
M. pneumoniae. An internal 1-kb fragment of
ma-mp81 was expressed in
Escherichia coli as a 6×His-tagged protein. The purified recombinant protein greatly reacted with polyclonal anti-P80 sera raised in lamb.