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Structure: Function of Transmembrane Appendages in Gram-Negative Bacteria

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Book cover Biogenesis of Fatty Acids, Lipids and Membranes

Part of the book series: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ((HHLM))

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Abstract

Gram-negative bacteria possess diverse transmembrane appendages that allow them to colonize different ecological niches. An essential prokaryotic strategy used for adaptation to various environments is the secretion of several molecules such as proteins and DNA, which is accomplished by specialized secretion systems that enable substrate transport across the cell envelope. Moreover, bacterial motility and adherence, driven by filamentous surface structures as flagella, pili, and curli, also play a crucial role in bacterial colonization. The construction of these macromolecular complexes faces a physical barrier since they must traverse two distinct lipid membrane bilayers and a peptidoglycan cell wall. Therefore, proteins that display special physicochemical characteristics to assemble within the hydrophobic lipid environment serve as building blocks for the biogenesis of the different transmembrane appendages. Here, we review the architecture and function of the main appendages of diderm bacteria and discuss how the interplay between membrane lipids and proteins influences their assembly and activity.

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Acknowledgments

Work in our laboratory is supported by grants from Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (DGAPA, UNAM; PAPIIT IN209617) and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT 284081). We acknowledge Dra. Norma Espinosa Sánchez for critical reading of the manuscript and excellent technical assistance.

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Author notes

  1. Miguel Ángel Díaz-Guerrero and Meztlli O. Gaytán have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    Miguel Ángel Díaz-Guerrero, Meztlli O. Gaytán & Bertha González-Pedrajo

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  1. Miguel Ángel Díaz-Guerrero
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  2. Meztlli O. Gaytán
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  3. Bertha González-Pedrajo
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Correspondence to Bertha González-Pedrajo .

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  1. Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Otto Geiger

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Díaz-Guerrero, M.Á., Gaytán, M.O., González-Pedrajo, B. (2019). Structure: Function of Transmembrane Appendages in Gram-Negative Bacteria. In: Geiger, O. (eds) Biogenesis of Fatty Acids, Lipids and Membranes. Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50430-8_51

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