Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marc Bramkamp, Dirk-Jan Scheffers
Summary: The plasma membrane is crucial for the viability of bacterial cells as it acts as a selective barrier. Recent research has shown that membrane-organizing proteins and principles found in eukaryotes also play important roles in bacterial cells. This minireview focuses on the involvement of bacterial flotillins in membrane compartmentalization and bacterial dynamins and ESCRT-like systems in membrane repair and remodeling.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Lijun Guo, Laura Sattler, Samia Shafqat, Peter L. Graumann, Marc Bramkamp
Summary: Bacillus subtilis DynA delays host cell lysis and promotes the survival of phage-infected bacteria by forming large clusters on the cell membrane. This mechanism provides population-level protection against phage infection.
Article
Microbiology
Lijun Guo, Laura Sattler, Samia Shafqat, Peter L. Graumann, Marc Bramkamp
Summary: The Bacillus subtilis DynA protein delays lysis of infected bacteria and reduces spreading of the phage particles, providing protection on the population level.
Article
Biology
Maryam Izadi, Eric Seemann, Dirk Schlobinski, Lukas Schwintzer, Britta Qualmann, Michael M. Kessels
Summary: The development of dendritic arbors in neurons depends on the coordination of different actin formation-promoting factors, including Cobl, Cobl-like, and syndapins. These proteins work together through physical and chemical interactions to regulate local actin dynamics, ultimately leading to the formation of complex neuronal morphologies required for neuronal network formation in mammals.
Article
Neurosciences
Wonchul Shin, Lisi Wei, Gianvito Arpino, Lihao Ge, Xiaoli Guo, Chung Yu Chan, Edaeni Hamid, Oleg Shupliakov, Christopher K. E. Bleck, Ling-Gang Wu
Summary: This study reveals that endocytosis is mainly mediated by calcium-triggered and dynamin-mediated closure of Omega profiles and fusion pores, leading to the formation of Lambda-shaped, Omega-shaped, and O-shaped vesicles, rather than the traditional flat-to-round membrane transformation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Stefan Milenkovic, Jiajun Wang, Silvia Acosta-Gutierrez, Mathias Winterhalter, Matteo Ceccarelli, Igor V. Bodrenko
Summary: Transmembrane beta-barrel proteins are versatile candidates for various technological applications and their behavior is influenced by environmental conditions. Comparing two highly homologous porins, OmpF and OmpC, we observed subtle amino acid substitutions that can modulate mass transport properties. These differences can be attributed to the disparities in the environmental conditions under which the porins are expressed. Our analysis not only highlights the advantages of enhanced sampling methods, but also provides valuable insights into the biological function and technical applications of these proteins.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weiwei Bei, Qingshan Luo, Huigang Shi, Haizhen Zhou, Min Zhou, Xinzheng Zhang, Yihua Huang
Summary: This study reports the structures of LolCDE in different states and provides insights into the molecular details of the lipoprotein sorting mechanism mediated by LolCDE.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bing Li, Steven M. Abel
Summary: Studied the equilibrium properties of hinge-like nanoparticles adsorbed on an elastic membrane. The configurations of individual particles can be controlled by changing adsorption strength and hinge stiffness, and strong adhesive interaction drives particle aggregation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tao Long, Yichi Zhang, Linda Donnelly, Hui Li, Yu-Chung Pien, Ning Liu, Eric N. Olson, Xiaochun Li
Summary: The researchers determined the structure of the key protein Myomaker involved in myoblast fusion and found that it adopts a GPCR-like fold. They also identified the dimeric interface and lipid-binding sites as crucial for fusion and proposed a mechanism that may be conserved between different species.
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Craig Sweet, Aayush Aayush, Logan Readnour, Kevin Solomon, David H. Thompson
Summary: A rapid purification workflow for ELP using polar organic solvent extraction and precipitation strategy was developed, providing highly pure ELP in approximately 2.5 hours while removing major host cell contaminants. This method can produce a functional ELP construct suitable for in vivo applications, demonstrating its efficiency and effectiveness in protein purification.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pierre Dupuy, Claude Gutierrez, Olivier Neyrolles
Summary: Recent research has shown that specific protein clustering occurs within membrane subdomains in bacteria, contradicting the notion that prokaryotes lack these subdomains. This article provides examples of bacterial membrane protein clustering, explaining the advantages of protein assembly in membranes and highlighting how clustering regulates protein activity.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luke Smithers, Oksana Degtjarik, Dietmar Weichert, Chia-Ying Huang, Coilin Boland, Katherine Bowen, Abraham Oluwole, Corinne Lutomski, Carol V. Robinson, Eoin M. Scanlan, Meitian Wang, Vincent Olieric, Moran Shalev-Benami, Martin Caffrey
Summary: This study investigates the structural changes of the enzyme apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase (Lnt) during its reaction. The study confirms the ping-pong mechanism of Lnt and explains the molecular basis for its ability to bind different substrates.
Article
Biology
Daniel A. Phillips, Lori A. Zacharoff, Cheri M. Hampton, Grace W. Chong, Anthony P. Malanoski, Lauren Ann Metskas, Shuai Xu, Lina J. Bird, Brian J. Eddie, Aleksandr E. Miklos, Grant J. Jensen, Lawrence F. Drummy, Mohamed Y. El-Naggar, Sarah M. Glaven
Summary: BAR domain proteins are a superfamily of coiled-coil proteins that influence membrane curvature in eukaryotes, and a bacterial protein BdpA with BAR domain-like activity has been discovered to impact the formation of membrane vesicles and outer membrane extensions. BdpA is essential for the uniform size distribution of membrane vesicles and the scaffolding of consistent diameter and curvature in OMEs, influencing the morphology of these structures. Overexpression of BdpA can promote the formation of OMEs in bacterial species where it is not typically observed, suggesting a new class of bacterial BAR domain-like proteins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chen Wang, Qingjie Xiao, Huaichuan Duan, Jinhong Li, Jiying Zhang, Qisheng Wang, Li Guo, Jianping Hu, Bo Sun, Dong Deng
Summary: Nucleoside homeostasis mediated by transporters and channels is essential for life, and NupG in Escherichia coli serves as a prototype for nucleoside transport. The crystal structures of NupG and its uridine binding site provide a framework for understanding the mechanism of nucleoside transporters in the NHS family.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Anjali Sengar, Marcos Cervantes, Sai T. Bondalapati, Tobin Hess, Peter M. Kasson
Summary: New viral variants of SARS-CoV-2 have demonstrated the ability to switch dominant infection pathways. Through single-virus fusion experiments, it has been shown that the virus can be activated by different proteases in different cellular compartments with the same effects. This highlights the importance of targeting multiple pathways for viral entry in therapeutic strategies.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Aleksandra Zielinska, Abigail Savietto, Anabela de Sousa Borges, Denis Martinez, Melanie Berbon, Joel R. Roelofsen, Alwin M. Hartman, Rinse de Boer, Ida J. Van der Klei, Anna K. H. Hirsch, Birgit Habenstein, Marc Bramkamp, Dirk-Jan Scheffers
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bruno Pinheiro, Dimitar Plamenov Petrov, Lingyun Guo, Gustavo Benevides Martins, Marc Bramkamp, Kirsten Jung
Summary: Translation of the glucose-specific permease EIIGlc and the transcriptional activator GntR2 are both dependent on elongation factor P (EF-P). XPPX motifs play a crucial role in the activity of EIIGlc. Decreased levels of EIIGlc in an efp mutant can be compensated for by other regulators. These findings highlight a translational bottleneck in the production of EIIGlc with implications for future strain engineering strategies.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Pfeiffer, Mauricio Toro-Nahuelpan, Ram Prasad Awal, Frank-Dietrich Mueller, Marc Bramkamp, Jurgen M. Plitzko, Dirk Schueler
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta Kolodziej, Damian Trojanowski, Katarzyna Bury, Joanna Holowka, Weronika Matysik, Hanna Kakolewska, Helge Feddersen, Giacomo Giacomelli, Igor Konieczny, Marc Bramkamp, Jolanta Zakrzewska-Czerwinska
Summary: Deletion of the lsr2 gene significantly impacts the cell morphology of M. smegmatis, resulting in cells that are shorter, wider, and more rigid than the wild-type cells.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Diego A. Ramirez-Diaz, Adrian Merino-Salomon, Fabian Meyer, Michael Heymann, German Rivas, Marc Bramkamp, Petra Schwille
Summary: FtsZ protein plays a crucial role in bacterial cell division by self-organizing and deforming membranes through torsional stress, potentially generating enough force to constrict membranes both in vivo and in vitro. This may provide insights into the mechanisms of cell division.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marc Bramkamp
Summary: The dynamic localization of lipids and proteins is a characteristic feature of biological membranes. In a new study, Gohrbandt et al (2022) demonstrate that reduced membrane fluidity in bacterial cells leads to reversible phase separation without membrane rupture, highlighting the physical robustness of biological membranes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leon Babl, Giacomo Giacomelli, Beatrice Ramm, Ann-Kathrin Gelmroth, Marc Bramkamp, Petra Schwille
Summary: The ParABS system plays a crucial role in plasmid partitioning and chromosome segregation in bacteria. The assembly of the partition complex, which is the core of the ParABS system, is achieved through liquid-liquid phase separation. The formation of oligomeric ParB species, regulated by CTP-binding, initiates the assembly process. Spatial regulation of the partition complex by parS is also observed. The findings highlight the evolutionary conservation and advance the understanding of partition complex formation and regulation.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuel Osorio-Valeriano, Florian Altegoer, Chandan K. Das, Wieland Steinchen, Gael Panis, Lara Connolley, Giacomo Giacomelli, Helge Feddersen, Laura Corrales-Guerrero, Pietro I. Giammarinaro, Juri Hanssmann, Marc Bramkamp, Patrick H. Viollier, Sean Murray, Lars V. Schaefer, Gert Bange, Martin Thanbichler
Summary: ParB-like CTPases play a key role in the segregation of bacterial chromosomes and low-copy number plasmids by forming large nucleoprotein complexes across the centromere. CTP hydrolysis helps limit the sliding time of ParB clamps and establish a diffusion gradient critical for DNA segregation. Understanding the CTPase cycle of ParB advances our knowledge of this prototypic CTP-dependent molecular switch.
Article
Microbiology
Lijun Guo, Laura Sattler, Samia Shafqat, Peter L. Graumann, Marc Bramkamp
Summary: Bacillus subtilis DynA delays host cell lysis and promotes the survival of phage-infected bacteria by forming large clusters on the cell membrane. This mechanism provides population-level protection against phage infection.
Article
Biology
Joris J. B. Messelink, Fabian Meyer, Marc Bramkampz, Chase P. Broedersz
Summary: Research has found that bacteria mostly grow exponentially and require tight regulation to maintain cell size homeostasis. A new inference method revealed that Corynebacterium glutamicum grows asymptotically linearly at the single-cell level, suggesting this growth mode could act as a substitute for tight division length and division symmetry regulation.
Article
Microbiology
Abigail Savietto Scholz, Sarah S. M. Baur, Diana Wolf, Marc Bramkamp
Summary: The study characterizes a bacterial SPFH-domain protein, YdjI, in membrane protection and fluidity regulation, showing its involvement in localizing PspA and its dependence on membrane integral proteins YdjG/H. Unlike classical flotillins, YdjI resides in fluid membrane regions and affects membrane fluidity.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Joerg Stuelke, Anika Grueppen, Marc Bramkamp, Stefan Pelzer
Summary: Next to Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis is the most studied and best understood organism that also serves as a model for many important pathogens. Due to its ability to form heat-resistant spores that can germinate even after very long periods of time, B. subtilis has attracted much scientific interest. Another feature is its genetic competence, making it amenable to genetic manipulation and investigation.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marc Bramkamp, Dirk-Jan Scheffers
Summary: The plasma membrane is crucial for the viability of bacterial cells as it acts as a selective barrier. Recent research has shown that membrane-organizing proteins and principles found in eukaryotes also play important roles in bacterial cells. This minireview focuses on the involvement of bacterial flotillins in membrane compartmentalization and bacterial dynamins and ESCRT-like systems in membrane repair and remodeling.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuela Weiss, Giacomo Giacomelli, Mathilde Ben Assaya, Finja Grundt, Ahmed Haouz, Feng Peng, Stephanie Petrella, Anne Marie Wehenkel, Marc Bramkamp
Summary: Cells face the constant risk of foreign DNA invasion, and bacteria have developed strategies similar to an innate immune system to defend against it. This study investigates the MksBEFG complex in Corynebacterium glutamicum, which degrades plasmid DNA. The structure of MksG reveals that it acts as a nuclease and has a binding site essential for DNA cleavage. The Mks system is regulated through the polar scaffold protein DivIVA and is activated when plasmids are introduced.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Lijun Guo, Laura Sattler, Samia Shafqat, Peter L. Graumann, Marc Bramkamp
Summary: The Bacillus subtilis DynA protein delays lysis of infected bacteria and reduces spreading of the phage particles, providing protection on the population level.
