Glycosylation of the flagellin of the polar flagellum of Azospirillum brasilense, a Gram-negative nitrogen-fixing bacterium

Abstract

Summary: The glycosylation of the flagellin of the polar flagellum of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 is demonstrated in several ways: (1) by a decrease in apparent M r after chemical deglycosylation; (2) by sugar staining after SDS-PAGE; (3) by use of a sugar-specific monoclonal antibody in immunogold labelling coupled with transmission electron microscopy. In addition, two mutant flagellins are described; they differ in glycan composition when compared with the wild-type. The glycosylation of a bacterial flagellin is unusual and has to be taken into account in the proposed model for the assembly of the flagellar filament.