FLAGELLAR PROTEINS OF MOTILE SPORES OF ACTINOMYCETES

Flagella of some of the actinoplanete genera were purified and the mol ecular sizes of their flagellin subunits compared by SDS-PAGE analysis to flagellins of cells of other bacteria. Several species of Actinopl anes have a major flagellar protein of subunit sizes of 42-43 kDa and a lesser amount of a second protein, possibly a minor flagellin subuni t, of 60 kDa, The flagellar protein sizes of other actinoplanetes rang ed from 32-43 kDa (major) and 48-58 kDa (minor), Antibodies formed aga inst the 42-kDa protein of A. rectilineatus showed cross-reactivity in Western blots against flagellar proteins of spores of other Actinopla nes species, two species of Dactylosporangium and an Ampullariella spe cies, Cross-reactivity was also observed with motile cells of two othe r actinomycetes, Arthrobacter atrocyaneus and a Geodermatophilus speci es, and with Bacillus subtilis, No cross-reactivity was observed with Escherichia coli or Planomonospora parontospora flagellar proteins, Th e amino acid composition and partial N-terminal sequence of the 42-kDa flagellar protein of A. rectilineatus was compared to literature data for other bacterial flagellins and found to be most similar to B. sub tilis 168.