The inner membrane protein YhdP modulates the rate of anterograde phospholipid flow in . Author Jacqueline Grimm, Handuo Shi, Wei Wang, Angela Mitchell, Ned Wingreen, Kerwyn Huang, Thomas Silhavy Publication Year 2020 Type Journal Article Abstract The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is a selective permeability barrier that allows uptake of nutrients while simultaneously protecting the cell from harmful compounds. The basic pathways and molecular machinery responsible for transporting lipopolysaccharides (LPS), lipoproteins, and β-barrel proteins to the OM have been identified, but very little is known about phospholipid (PL) transport. To identify genes capable of affecting PL transport, we screened for genetic interactions with *, a mutant in which anterograde PL transport causes the inner membrane (IM) to shrink and eventually rupture; characterization of *-mediated lysis suggested that PL transport can occur via a high-flux diffusive flow mechanism. We found that YhdP, an IM protein involved in maintaining the OM permeability barrier, modulates the rate of PL transport during *-mediated lysis. Deletion of from * reduced the rate of IM transport to the OM by 50%, slowing shrinkage of the IM and delaying lysis. As a result, the weakened OM of ∆ cells was further compromised and ruptured before the IM during *-mediated death. These findings demonstrate the existence of a high-flux diffusive pathway for PL flow in that is modulated by YhdP. Keywords Membrane Proteins, Escherichia coli Proteins, Phospholipids, Escherichia coli K12, Phospholipid Transfer Proteins Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume 117 Issue 43 Pages 26907-26914 Date Published 2020 Oct 27 ISSN Number 1091-6490 DOI 10.1073/pnas.2015556117 Alternate Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A PMCID PMC7604412 PMID 33046656 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML