Lipopolysaccharide transport to the cell surface: biosynthesis and extraction from the inner membrane.

ABSTRACT: The cell surface of most Gram-negative bacteria is covered with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The network of charges and sugars provided by the dense packing of LPS molecules in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane interferes with the entry of hydrophobic compounds into the cell, including many antibiotics. In addition, LPS can be recognized by the immune system and plays a crucial role in many interactions between bacteria and their animal hosts. LPS is synthesized in the inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, so it must be transported across their cell envelope to assemble at the cell surface. Over the past two decades, much of the research on LPS biogenesis has focused on the discovery and understanding of Lpt, a multi-protein complex that spans the cell envelope and functions to tran

SUBMITTER: Simpson BW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4632605 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature