Gram
negative bacteria can cause diseases such as pneumonia, cholera, typhoid fever
and E. coli infections, as well as many hospital acquired infections. They are
increasingly resistant to antibiotics -- and this is partly because of the way
they are built.
Understanding
how these bacteria make this outer membrane could lead to the identification of
new ways to combat bacterial infections, as this membrane is essential for
bacterial survival.
Scientists
at the University of Birmingham have recently made a step forward in
understanding this process by identifying the first mechanism involved in the
movement of phospholipid molecules towards this membrane.
Using
biophysical techniques including x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic
resonance, the Birmingham team were able to monitor the movement of
phospholipids from the inner membrane towards the outer membrane directly
through a series of proteins that form a pathway known as the Mla pathway. This
pathway has previously been shown to be involved in disease but its exact
function was not known. These results provide the first evidence of a protein
machinery involved in these transport processes and opens up the possibility of
targeting it for antibiotic development.
READ MORE: Artificial intelligence used to identify bacteria accurately
READ MORE: Artificial intelligence used to identify bacteria accurately
See:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology
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