Isolation of a relatively pure outer membrane fraction of Moraxella nonliquefaciens and a comparison of its characteristics with the cytoplasmic membrane-containing material.

Cell envelope fractions of Moraxella nonliquefaciens were isolated by a slight modification of Osborn's method. Two main membrane fractions were characterized chemically and morphologically. The density of the fraction containing cytoplasmic membrane material was 1.17 to 1.18 g cm-3 compared with 1.24 to 1.27 g cm-3 for the outer membrane fraction. Lipopolysaccharide was detected almost exclusively in the outer membrane fraction and sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of this fraction revealed one dominant protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 45 000. Cross-contamination of the fractions was estimated to be about 10%, as calculated on the basis of the lipopolysaccharide fatty acid 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid and on the relative activities of D-lactate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase.