Isolation and characterization of heat-modifiable proteins from the outer membrane of Porphyromonas asaccharolytica and Acinetobacter baumannii

Active porins were isolated and purified from the outer membranes of the Gram-negative anaerobic rod Porphyromonas asaccharolytica and the aerobic coccobacillus Acinetobacter baumannii. The porins from both bacteria appear to be monomers when isolated and purified. Both porins exhibited decreased mobility on SDS-PAGE after boiling for 10 min in the sample buffer. After heating, their molecular weight is estimated at 43 kDa while without heating they run as proteins with a molecular weight of approximately 37 kDa. Due to their characteristic heat-modifiability, these proteins were named HMP (heat-modifiable protein)-P. asaccharolytica and HMP-A. baumannii. Amino acid analysis revealed both porins to be hydrophilic proteins. These proteins have been shown to be active in transporting sugars when incorporated into liposomes. The permeability of both porins for L-arabinose was less than that produced by the porin of Escherichia coli B. Permeability to high molecular weight disaccharides was lower than for small monosaccharides. Western blot analysis did not reveal any antigenic cross reaction between HMP-A. baumannii and the HMP-P. asaccharolytica. The results obtained in this study confirm that although these heat-modifiable proteins are pore forming proteins and have similar activity they differ in their antigenicity.