OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEIN PROFILES OF YERSINIA-RUCKERI

The outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles of 135 isolates of Yersinia ruckeri, obtained from nine European countries (100 isolates), North America (23 isolates), Australia (six isolates) and South Africa (two isolates), and including four reference strains, were examined by SDS-PAGE. Outer membranes were isolated by selective solubilisation of the cytoplasmic membrane with 0.5% (w/v) sodium N-lauroyl sarcosinate (Sarkosyl). Outer membrane proteins were stable after in vitro passage and there was no variation in OMP profiles due to colony selection. With the exception of a 39.5 kDa peptidoglycan-associated protein there was also no variation at different stages of the growth cycle. The 39.5 kDa protein was not produced during logarithmic growth phase but increased in abundance as the stationary phase progressed. Interstrain variation occurred in the possession of a 36.5 or 38 kDa heat-modifiable protein and in the possession of peptidoglycan-associated proteins in the molecular weight range 36.5 to 40.5 kDa. Based on variation of these proteins five OMP-types, designated OMP-types 1-5, were identified among the 135 isolates examined. Outer membrane protein analysis was demonstrated to be useful in epidemiological studies of Y. ruckeri.