INFLUENCE OF LIF, THE LYSOSTAPHIN IMMUNITY FACTOR, ON ACCEPTORS OF SURFACE-PROTEINS AND CELL-WALL SORTING EFFICIENCY IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS-CARNOSUS

Proteins harboring a C-terminal cell wall sorting signal are covalentl y linked to pentaglycine accepters within the staphylococcal peptidogl ycan. This pentaglycine was modified when the lysostaphin immunity fac tor (Lif) of Staphylococcus simulans was expressed in Staphylococcus c arnosus, likely by the exchange of two glycine residues for serine res idues. A reporter protein was efficiently linked to the modified accep tor, indicating that the sorting reaction is not strictly dependent on the wild-type structures of the accepters.