title: Transport of outer membrane lipids in mycobacteria.
abstract: The complex organization of the mycobacterial cell wall poses unique challenges for the study of its assembly. Although mycobacteria are classified evolutionarily as Gram-positive bacteria, their cell wall architecture more closely resembles that of Gram-negative organisms. They possess not only an inner cytoplasmic membrane, but also a bilayer outer membrane that encloses an aqueous periplasm and includes diverse lipids that are required for the survival and virulence of pathogenic species. Questions surrounding how mycobacterial outer membrane lipids are transported from where they are made in the cytoplasm to where they function at the cell exterior are thus similar, and similarly compelling, to those that have driven the study of Gram-negative outer membrane transport pathways. However, little is understood about these processes in mycobacteria. Here we contextualize these questions by comparing our current knowledge of mycobacteria with better-defined systems in other organisms. Based on this analysis, we propose possible models and highlight continuing challenges to improving our understanding of outer membrane assembly in these medically and environmentally important bacteria. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Bacterial Lipids edited by Russell E. Bishop.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States.
authors.forename: Megan H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Touchette
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States. Electronic address: jessica.seeliger@stonybrook.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Seeliger
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: Cell wall; Lipoprotein; Mycobacteria; Outer membrane; Transport