Molecular cloning and expression of calcium-regulated, plasmid-coded proteins of Y. pseudotuberculosis.

A number of plasmid-associated proteins (YOPs) of Y. pseudotuberculosis are induced and expressed at high levels when the pathogen is grown at 37 degrees C in absence of Ca2+ ions. These proteins were recovered both from the outer membrane fraction and the culture supernatant. Two hours after a temperature-shift the YOPs were only found in the culture supernatant, amounting to about 5% of the total cell protein. After 4 h of incubation they were also detected in the outer membrane fraction. Separation by 2-D gel electrophoresis revealed that the YOPs could be separated into 6 different polypeptides; YOP2a (45 kDa), YOP2b (45 kDa), YOP3 (41-42 kDa), YOP4a (34 kDa), YOP4b (34 kDa) and YOP5 (26 kDa). The structural genes of all of these YOPs, except the YOP2a gene, were cloned to pBR322 and their respective genetic localization was established. It was found that the genes were not part of a common operon but scattered around plasmid plB1. Only the YOP4b protein was found to map within the Ca2+ region. The hybrid plasmid plB572 coded for a number of plasmid plB1 specific proteins, one of which showed a molecular weight of 38 kDa. This polypeptide could be precipitated by monospecific V-antiserum, showing that this protein is the V-antigen.