Cell envelope characterization of members of the phylum Chlorobi
EMSL Project ID
50737
Abstract
Modern bacteria can be divided into two main groups based on their cell envelope architecture: monoderm and diderm. Typically, monoderm bacteria are surrounded by a single lipid bilayer and a thick layer of peptidoglycan (PG) whereas diderm bacteria have two membranes (an inner and an outer) with a thin layer of PG between them4. Representing species of the monoderm and diderm bacteria are Bacillus subtilis and Eschirichia coli, respectively. The inner and outer membranes (OM) in bacteria differ structurally and functionally. For example, the OM is rich in beta-barrel proteins and facilitates the free diffusion of small molecules into the periplasm, whereas the inner membrane (IM) contains alpha-helical membrane proteins and sustains a protein gradient. In addition, in most characterized diderm bacterial phyla, the outer leaflet of the OM is rich in lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Thus, the presence of beta-barrel proteins and LPS are considered the hallmarks of a typical OM and often used as markers for species and phyla characterization. Numerous exceptions to the typical monoderm and diderm cell envelope architectures exist, however, the presence of either one or two membranes is a conserved characteristic. Therefore, the use of this characteristic is a valuable structural feature that can be used in combination of phylogenetic analyses to gain insight into the nature of LUCA.
Project Details
Start Date
2019-05-15
End Date
2020-02-01
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members