Flavobacterium johnsoniae SprA is a cell-surface protein involved in gliding motility

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P. O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: mcbride{at}uwm.edu.

	Abstract

Cells of Flavobacterium johnsoniae glide rapidly over surfaces by an unknown mechanism. Transposon-induced sprA mutants formed nonspreading colonies on agar and cells examined in wet mounts were deficient in attachment to surfaces and were almost completely nonmotile. Exposure of intact cells to proteinase K cleaved the 270 kDa SprA into several large peptides, suggesting that it is partially exposed on the cell-surface.