Composition and in situ structure of the <i>Methanospirillum hungatei</i> cell envelope and surface layer.

ABSTRACT: Archaea share genomic similarities with Eukarya and cellular architectural similarities with Bacteria, though archaeal and bacterial surface layers (S-layers) differ. Using cellular cryo-electron tomography, we visualized the S-layer lattice surrounding Methanospirillum hungatei, a methanogenic archaeon. Though more compact than known structures, M. hungatei's S-layer is a flexible hexagonal lattice of dome-shaped tiles, uniformly spaced from both the overlying cell sheath and the underlying cell membrane. Subtomogram averaging resolved the S-layer hexamer tile at 6.4-angstrom resolution. By fitting an AlphaFold model into hexamer tiles in flat and curved conformations, we uncover intra- and intertile interactions that contribute to the S-layer's cylindrical and flexible arch

SUBMITTER: Wang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11641113 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature