Antigenic relationship and functional properties of Yersinia porins.

We have studied the molecular structure and functional properties of major pore-forming proteins isolated as peptidoglycan (PG)-protein complexes from four Yersinia species (Y. intermedia, Y. enterocolitica, Y. kristensenii and Y. frederiksenii) cultured as various temperatures. Despite the close antigenic relationship, Yersinia porins revealed different functional properties. When reconstituted in model membranes, the PG-protein complexes induced conductance which was different for the "cold" (grown at 6-8 degrees C) and "warm" (grown at 37 degrees C) variants of microbial cultures. We conclude that the functional state of Yersinia porins in the outer membrane depends on the cultivation temperature.