Membrane tubulation induced by a bacterial glycolipid.

ABSTRACT: Membrane protein integrase (MPIase) is a glycolipid found in Escherichia coli cell membranes. It consists of diacylglycerol and a sugar chain comprising approximately 10 repeating trisaccharide units, made up of three types of N-acetylated amino sugars linked by pyrophosphate. In cooperation with proteinaceous translocons, MPIase regulates membrane protein integration. In this study, using various microscopic techniques, we demonstrated that externally added MPIase induces the formation of a single tubule protruding outward from giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). These tubules resembled those reported in studies involving membrane-perturbing proteins but differed in that MPIase formed aggregates at the base of the tubules. We also showed that hydrophobic interactions between longer sugar c

SUBMITTER: Nomura K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11926092 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature