How the assembly and protection of the bacterial cell envelope depend on cysteine residues.

ABSTRACT: The cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is a multilayered structure essential for bacterial viability; the peptidoglycan cell wall provides shape and osmotic protection to the cell, and the outer membrane serves as a permeability barrier against noxious compounds in the external environment. Assembling the envelope properly and maintaining its integrity are matters of life and death for bacteria. Our understanding of the mechanisms of envelope assembly and maintenance has increased tremendously over the past two decades. Here, we review the major achievements made during this time, giving central stage to the amino acid cysteine, one of the least abundant amino acid residues in proteins, whose unique chemical and physical properties often critically support biological processes. First,

SUBMITTER: Collet JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7443483 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature