A lipoprotein/β-barrel complex monitors lipopolysaccharide integrity transducing information across the outer membrane.

TitleA lipoprotein/β-barrel complex monitors lipopolysaccharide integrity transducing information across the outer membrane.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsKonovalova, A, Mitchell, AM, Silhavy, TJ
JournalElife
Volume5
Date Published2016 Jun 10
ISSN2050-084X
KeywordsBacterial Outer Membrane Proteins, Cell Membrane, DNA Mutational Analysis, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli Proteins, Lipopolysaccharides, Mutant Proteins
Abstract

<p>Lipoprotein RcsF is the OM component of the Rcs envelope stress response. RcsF exists in complexes with β-barrel proteins (OMPs) allowing it to adopt a transmembrane orientation with a lipidated N-terminal domain on the cell surface and a periplasmic C-terminal domain. Here we report that mutations that remove BamE or alter a residue in the RcsF trans-lumen domain specifically prevent assembly of the interlocked complexes without inactivating either RcsF or the OMP. Using these mutations we demonstrate that these RcsF/OMP complexes are required for sensing OM outer leaflet stress. Using mutations that alter the positively charged surface-exposed domain, we show that RcsF monitors lateral interactions between lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules. When these interactions are disrupted by cationic antimicrobial peptides, or by the loss of negatively charged phosphate groups on the LPS molecule, this information is transduced to the RcsF C-terminal signaling domain located in the periplasm to activate the stress response.</p>

DOI10.7554/eLife.15276
Alternate JournalElife
PubMed ID27282389
PubMed Central IDPMC4942254
Grant ListR01 GM034821 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
R35 GM118024 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
R37 GM034821 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States