Lipid phase separation impairs membrane thickness sensing by the Bacillus subtilis sensor kinase DesK.

ABSTRACT: Membrane fluidity and thickness have emerged as crucial factors for the activity of and resistance to several antimicrobials. However, the lack of tools to study membrane fluidity and, in particular, thickness in living bacteria limits our understanding of this interplay. The Bacillus subtilis histidine kinase/phosphatase DesK is a molecular sensor that directly detects membrane thickness. It controls activity of DesR, which regulates expression of the lipid desaturase Des, known for its role in cold adaptation and daptomycin susceptibility. We hypothesized that this property could be exploited to develop biosensors and reporters for antibiotic-induced changes in membrane fluidity and thickness. To test this, we designed three assays based on the des system: activation of the

SUBMITTER: Sidarta M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11237406 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature