scholarly journals Architectures of lipid transport systems for the bacterial outer membrane

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian C. Ekiert ◽  
Gira Bhabha ◽  
Garrett Greenan ◽  
Sergey Ovchinnikov ◽  
Jeffery S. Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Cell Entry ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
List Type ◽  
Central Channel ◽  
Membrane Protein Complex ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes

SUMMARYHow phospholipids are trafficked between the bacterial inner and outer membranes through the intervening hydrophilic space of the periplasm is not known. Here we report that members of the mammalian cell entry (MCE) protein family form structurally diverse hexameric rings and barrels with a central channel capable of mediating lipid transport. TheE. coliMCE protein, MlaD, forms a ring as part of a larger ABC transporter complex in the inner membrane, and employs a soluble lipid-binding protein to ferry lipids between MlaD and an outer membrane protein complex. In contrast, EM structures of two otherE. coliMCE proteins show that YebT forms an elongated tube consisting of seven stacked MCE rings, and PqiB adopts a syringe-like architecture. Both YebT and PqiB create channels of sufficient length to span the entire periplasmic space. This work reveals diverse architectures of highly conserved protein-based channels implicated in the transport of lipids between the inner and outer membranes of bacteria and some eukaryotic organelles.HIGHLIGHTSMCE proteins adopt diverse architectures for transporting lipids across the bacterial periplasmCryo-EM and X-ray structures reveal how the MlaFEDB complex, along with MlaC, might shuttle lipids across the periplasm3.9 Å cryo-EM structure of PqiB reveals a syringe-like architecture with a continuous central channelYebT forms a a segmented tube-like structure, and YebT and PqiB are poised to directly link the inner and outer membranes to facilitate lipid transport.

scholarly journals Structure of LetB reveals a tunnel for lipid transport across the bacterial envelope

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia L. Isom ◽  
Nicolas Coudray ◽  
Mark R. MacRae ◽  
Collin T. McManus ◽  
Damian C. Ekiert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes ◽  
Hydrophobic Tunnel ◽  
Outer Membrane Permeability

Gram-negative bacteria are surrounded by an outer membrane composed of phospholipids and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which acts as a barrier to the environment and contributes to antibiotic resistance. While mechanisms of LPS transport have been well characterised, systems that translocate phospholipids across the periplasm, such as MCE (Mammalian Cell Entry) transport systems, are less well understood. Here we show that E. coli MCE protein LetB (formerly YebT), forms a ∼0.6 megadalton complex in the periplasm. Our cryo-EM structure reveals that LetB consists of a stack of seven modular rings, creating a long hydrophobic tunnel through the centre of the complex. LetB is sufficiently large to span the gap between the inner and outer membranes, and mutations that shorten the tunnel abolish function. Lipids bind inside the tunnel, suggesting that it functions as a pathway for lipid transport. Cryo-EM structures in the open and closed states reveal a dynamic tunnel lining, with implications for gating or substrate translocation. Together, our results support a model in which LetB establishes a physical link between the bacterial inner and outer membranes, and creates a hydrophobic pathway for the translocation of lipids across the periplasm, to maintain the integrity of the outer membrane permeability barrier.

scholarly journals Correct Sorting of Lipoproteins into the Inner and Outer Membranes ofPseudomonas aeruginosaby theEscherichia coliLolCDE Transport System

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lorenz ◽  
Thomas J. Dougherty ◽  
Stephen Lory
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes

ABSTRACTBiogenesis of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria depends on dedicated macromolecular transport systems. The LolABCDE proteins make up the machinery for lipoprotein trafficking from the inner membrane (IM) across the periplasm to the outer membrane (OM). The Lol apparatus is additionally responsible for differentiating OM lipoproteins from those for the IM. InEnterobacteriaceae, a default sorting mechanism has been proposed whereby an aspartic acid at position +2 of the mature lipoproteins prevents Lol recognition and leads to their IM retention. In other bacteria, the conservation of sequences immediately following the acylated cysteine is variable. Here we show that inPseudomonas aeruginosa, the three essential Lol proteins (LolCDE) can be replaced with those fromEscherichia coli. TheP. aeruginosalipoproteins MexA, OprM, PscJ, and FlgH, with different sequences at their N termini, were correctly sorted by either theE. coliorP. aeruginosaLolCDE. We further demonstrate that an inhibitor ofE. coliLolCDE is active againstP. aeruginosaonly when expressing theE. coliorthologues. Our work shows that Lol proteins recognize a wide range of signals, consisting of an acylated cysteine and a specific conformation of the adjacent domain, determining IM retention or transport to the OM.IMPORTANCEGram-negative bacteria build their outer membranes (OM) from components that are initially located in the inner membrane (IM). A fraction of lipoproteins is transferred to the OM by the transport machinery consisting of LolABCDE proteins. Our work demonstrates that the LolCDE complexes of the transport pathways ofEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosaare interchangeable, with theE. coliorthologues correctly sorting theP. aeruginosalipoproteins while retaining their sensitivity to a small-molecule inhibitor. These findings question the nature of IM retention signals, identified inE. colias aspartate at position +2 of mature lipoproteins. We propose an alternative model for the sorting of IM and OM lipoproteins based on their relative affinities for the IM and the ability of the promiscuous sorting machinery to deliver lipoproteins to their functional sites in the OM.

Membrane assembly: movement of phosphatidylserine between the cytoplasmic and outer membranes of Escherichia coli

1982 ◽  
Vol 152 (3) ◽  
pp. 1033-1041
Author(s):  
K E Langley ◽  
E Hawrot ◽  
E P Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Sucrose Gradient ◽  
Intracellular Localization ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Gradient Fractionation

Phosphatidylserine, normally a trace phospholipid in Escherichia coli, accumulates at high levels in temperature-sensitive phosphatidylserine decarboxylase mutants at nonpermissive temperatures. The intracellular localization of this phospholipid has now been determined. All of the accumulated phosphatidylserine is membrane bound and is distributed about equally between the inner and outer membrane fractions of E. coli as determined by isopycnic sucrose gradient fractionation. Phosphatidylserine is therefore effectively translocated from the inner to the outer membrane. Furthermore, this movement is bidirectional. Outer membrane phosphatidylserine can return to the inner membrane, as shown by the complete conversion of accumulated radioactive phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine by inner membrane phosphatidylserine decarboxylase during chase periods. Pulse-chase experiments indicated the newly made phosphatidylserine appears first in the inner membrane and then equilibrates between the inner and outer membranes with a half-time of 12 to 13 min.

scholarly journals Components of the RP4 Conjugative Transfer Apparatus Form an Envelope Structure Bridging Inner and Outer Membranes of Donor Cells: Implications for Related Macromolecule Transport Systems

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (6) ◽  
pp. 1564-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Marika Grahn ◽  
Jana Haase ◽  
Dennis H. Bamford ◽  
Erich Lanka
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fraction ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Recipient Cell ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes ◽  
Cell Envelopes ◽  
Transfer Apparatus

ABSTRACT During bacterial conjugation, the single-stranded DNA molecule is transferred through the cell envelopes of the donor and the recipient cell. A membrane-spanning transfer apparatus encoded by conjugative plasmids has been proposed to facilitate protein and DNA transport. For the IncPα plasmid RP4, a thorough sequence analysis of the gene products of the transfer regions Tra1 and Tra2 revealed typical features of mainly inner membrane proteins. We localized essential RP4 transfer functions to Escherichia coli cell fractions by immunological detection with specific polyclonal antisera. Each of the gene products of the RP4 mating pair formation (Mpf) system, specified by the Tra2 core region and by traF of the Tra1 region, was found in the outer membrane fraction with one exception, the TrbB protein, which behaved like a soluble protein. The membrane preparation from Mpf-containing cells had an additional membrane fraction whose density was intermediate between those of the cytoplasmic and outer membranes, suggesting the presence of attachment zones between the twoE. coli membranes. The Tra1 region is known to encode the components of the RP4 relaxosome. Several gene products of this transfer region, including the relaxase TraI, were detected in the soluble fraction, but also in the inner membrane fraction. This indicates that the nucleoprotein complex is associated with and/or assembled facing the cytoplasmic site of the E. coli cell envelope. The Tra1 protein TraG was predominantly localized to the cytoplasmic membrane, supporting its potential role as an interface between the RP4 Mpf system and the relaxosome.

scholarly journals Interaction between Polyamines and Bacterial Outer Membranes as Investigated with Ion-Selective Electrodes

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 1073-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Katsu ◽  
Hideki Nakagawa ◽  
Keiko Yasuda
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Simple Structure ◽  
Cytoplasmic Membrane ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Cationic Peptide ◽  
Amino Groups ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Outer Membranes ◽  
Potentiometric Measurements

ABSTRACT We analyzed the interaction between polyamines and the outer membrane of Escherichia coli cells using potentiometric measurements with Ca2+, tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+), and K+ electrodes. The Ca2+ electrode was used to examine the ability of the polyamines to release Ca2+ from the outer membrane. The TPP+ electrode was used to examine the ability to permeabilize the outer membrane, since the uptake of TPP+ was enhanced when the permeability barrier of the outer membrane was disrupted. The K+ electrode was used to examine permeabilization in the cytoplasmic membrane by monitoring the efflux of K+ in cytosol. Although Ca2+ release was remarkably enhanced by increasing the number of amino groups in polyamines, no TPP+ uptake was observed with polyamines of a simple structure, such as ethylenediamine, spermidine, and spermine. TPP+ uptake was observed when appropriate lipophilic moieties were further attached to the polyamines with three or four amino groups, indicating that the existence of bulky moieties as well as the number of amino groups is important to induce outer membrane permeabilization. Thus, 1-naphthylacetylspermine and N,N′-bis[6-[[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]amino]hexyl]-1,8-octanediamine (methoctramine) were especially effective in increasing the permeability of the outer membrane of E. coli cells, being comparable to polymyxin B nonapeptide, a well-known cationic peptide showing such action.

scholarly journals Architectures of Lipid Transport Systems for the Bacterial Outer Membrane

Cell ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 169 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-285.e17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian C. Ekiert ◽  
Gira Bhabha ◽  
Georgia L. Isom ◽  
Garrett Greenan ◽  
Sergey Ovchinnikov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Bacterial Outer Membrane

scholarly journals Intermembrane transport: Glycerophospholipid homeostasis of the Gram-negative cell envelope

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (35) ◽  
pp. 17147-17155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Powers ◽  
M. Stephen Trent
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Lipid Asymmetry ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Outer Membranes ◽  
Negative Cell ◽  
Initial Discovery ◽  
Structural Methods

This perspective addresses recent advances in lipid transport across the Gram-negative inner and outer membranes. While we include a summary of previously existing literature regarding this topic, we focus on the maintenance of lipid asymmetry (Mla) pathway. Discovered in 2009 by the Silhavy group [J. C. Malinverni, T. J. Silhavy, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 8009–8014 (2009)], Mla has become increasingly appreciated for its role in bacterial cell envelope physiology. Through the work of many, we have gained an increasingly mechanistic understanding of the function of Mla via genetic, biochemical, and structural methods. Despite this, there is a degree of controversy surrounding the directionality in which Mla transports lipids. While the initial discovery and subsequent studies have posited that it mediated retrograde lipid transport (removing glycerophospholipids from the outer membrane and returning them to the inner membrane), others have asserted the opposite. This Perspective aims to lay out the evidence in an unbiased, yet critical, manner for Mla-mediated transport in addition to postulation of mechanisms for anterograde lipid transport from the inner to outer membranes.

scholarly journals The SARS-CoV-2 Spike harbours a lipid binding pocket which modulates stability of the prefusion trimer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loic Carrique ◽  
Helen ME Duyvesteyn ◽  
Tomas Malinauskas ◽  
Yuguang Zhao ◽  
Jingshan Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Cell Entry ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
List Type ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Acyl Chains

SummaryLarge trimeric Spikes decorate SARS-CoV-2 and bind host cells via receptor binding domains (RBDs). We report a conformation in which the trimer is ‘locked’ into a compact well-ordered form. This differs from previous structures where the RBD can flip up to recognise the receptor. In the ‘locked’ form regions associated with fusion transitions are stabilised and the RBD harbours curved lipids. The acyl chains bind a hydrophobic pocket in one RBD whilst the polar headgroups attach to an adjacent RBD of the trimer. By functional analogy with enteroviral pocket factors loss of the lipid would destabilise the ‘locked’ form facilitating receptor attachment, conversion to the postfusion state and virus infection. The nature of lipids available at the site of infection might affect the antigenicity/pathogenicity of released virus. These results reveal a potentially druggable pocket and suggest that the natural prefusion state occludes neutralising RBD epitopes, achieving conformational shielding from antibodies.HighlightsSARS-CoV-2 Spike can adopt a ‘locked’ conformation with all receptor binding domains (RBDs) down, likely to represent the prefusion resting stateThis ‘locked’ conformation is compact and stable, braced by lipid bound within a potentially druggable pocketKey neutralization epitopes are shielded in the ‘locked’ formLoss of lipid may trigger a cascade of events that lead to cell entry analogous to the role of lipids in enterovirus cell entry

scholarly journals Architectures of Lipid Transport Systems for the Bacterial Outer Membrane

2017 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 14a
Author(s):  
Gira Bhabha ◽  
Damian C. Ekiert ◽  
Garrett Greenan ◽  
Sergey Ovchinnikov ◽  
Jeffery Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Bacterial Outer Membrane
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