The Architecture of the Gram Positive Bacterial Cell Wall
Autor: | Nic Mullin, Sandip Kumar, Per A. Bullough, Simon J. Foster, J. S. Wilson, Laia Pasquina-Lemonche, Jamie K. Hobbs, Robert D. Turner, Buddhapriya Chakrabarti, R.K. Tank, J.M. Burns |
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Jazyk: | angličtina |
Rok vydání: | 2020 |
Předmět: |
Glycan
Staphylococcus aureus Bacillus subtilis Peptidoglycan medicine.disease_cause Microscopy Atomic Force Bacterial cell structure Article Cell wall 03 medical and health sciences chemistry.chemical_compound Cell Wall medicine 030304 developmental biology 0303 health sciences Multidisciplinary Microbial Viability biology 030306 microbiology biology.organism_classification chemistry Structural biology biology.protein Biophysics Cell envelope |
Zdroj: | Nature |
ISSN: | 1476-4687 0028-0836 |
Popis: | The primary structural component of the bacterial cell wall is peptidoglycan, which is essential for viability and the synthesis of which is the target for crucial antibiotics1,2. Peptidoglycan is a single macromolecule made of glycan chains crosslinked by peptide side branches that surrounds the cell, acting as a constraint to internal turgor1,3. In Gram-positive bacteria, peptidoglycan is tens of nanometres thick, generally portrayed as a homogeneous structure that provides mechanical strength4–6. Here we applied atomic force microscopy7–12 to interrogate the morphologically distinct Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis species, using live cells and purified peptidoglycan. The mature surface of live cells is characterized by a landscape of large (up to 60 nm in diameter), deep (up to 23 nm) pores constituting a disordered gel of peptidoglycan. The inner peptidoglycan surface, consisting of more nascent material, is much denser, with glycan strand spacing typically less than 7 nm. The inner surface architecture is location dependent; the cylinder of B. subtilis has dense circumferential orientation, while in S. aureus and division septa for both species, peptidoglycan is dense but randomly oriented. Revealing the molecular architecture of the cell envelope frames our understanding of its mechanical properties and role as the environmental interface13,14, providing information complementary to traditional structural biology approaches. Using high-resolution atomic force microscopy of live cells, the authors present an updated view of the cell walls of both Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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