Dissecting the Permeability of the Escherichia coli Cell Envelope to a Small Molecule Using Tailored Intensiometric Fluorescent Protein Sensors.

ABSTRACT: Membranes provide a highly selective barrier that defines the boundaries of any cell while providing an interface for communication and nutrient uptake. However, despite their central physiological role, our capacity to study or even engineer the permeation of distinct solutes across biological membranes remains rudimentary. This especially applies to Gram-negative bacteria, where the outer and inner membrane impose two permeation barriers. Addressing this analytical challenge, we exemplify how the permeability of the Escherichia coli cell envelope can be dissected using a small-molecule-responsive fluorescent protein sensor. The approach is exemplified for the biotechnologically relevant macrolide rapamycin, for which we first construct an intensiometric rapamycin detector (iRapTor

SUBMITTER: Kemp P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10601414 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature