Title | Border Control: Regulating LPS Biogenesis. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2021 |
Authors | Guest, RL, Rutherford, ST, Silhavy, TJ |
Journal | Trends Microbiol |
Volume | 29 |
Issue | 4 |
Pagination | 334-345 |
Date Published | 2021 Apr |
ISSN | 1878-4380 |
Keywords | Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins, Biological Transport, Carbohydrate Metabolism, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Lipopolysaccharides |
Abstract | <p>The outer membrane (OM) is a defining feature of Gram-negative bacteria that serves as a permeability barrier and provides rigidity to the cell. Critical to OM function is establishing and maintaining an asymmetrical bilayer structure with phospholipids in the inner leaflet and the complex glycolipid lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet. Cells ensure this asymmetry by regulating the biogenesis of lipid A, the conserved and essential anchor of LPS. Here we review the consequences of disrupting the regulatory components that control lipid A biogenesis, focusing on the rate-limiting step performed by LpxC. Dissection of these processes provides critical insights into bacterial physiology and potential new targets for antibiotics able to overcome rapidly spreading resistance mechanisms.</p> |
DOI | 10.1016/j.tim.2020.09.008 |
Alternate Journal | Trends Microbiol |
PubMed ID | 33036869 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC7969359 |
Grant List | R35 GM118024 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States |