CELL-WALL SORTING OF LIPOPROTEINS IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS

Many surface proteins are thought to be anchored to the cell wall of g ram-positive organisms via their C termini, while the N-terminal domai ns of these molecules are displayed on the bacterial surface. Cell wal l anchoring of surface proteins in Staphylococcus aureus requires both an N-terminal leader peptide and a C-terminal cell wall sorting signa l. By fusing the cell wall sorting signal of protein A to the C termin us of staphylococcal beta-lactamase, we demonstrate here that lipoprot eins can also be anchored to the cell wall of S. aureus. The topology of cell wall-anchored beta-lactamase is reminiscent of that described for Braun's murein lipoprotein in that the N terminus of the polypepti de chain is membrane anchored whereas the C-terminal end is tethered t o the bacterial cell wall.