PhaP is involved in the formation of a network on the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate inclusions in Cupriavidus necator H16.

ABSTRACT: Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) inclusions are polymeric storage inclusions formed in some bacterial species when carbon levels are high but levels of another essential nutrient, such as nitrogen, are low. Though much is known about PHA synthesis, little is known about inclusion structure. In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to elucidate the structure of PHA inclusions at the nanoscale level, including the characterization of different layers of structure. AFM data suggest that underneath the inclusion envelope, there is a 2- to 4-nm-thick network layer that resides on top of a harder layer that is likely to be a crystalline lamellar polymer. The network is comprised of approximately 20-nm-wide linear segments and junctions that are typically formed by the joining of three

SUBMITTER: Dennis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2223688 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature