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An Accurate In Vitro Model of the E. coli Envelope
Author(s) -
Clifton Luke A.,
Holt Stephen A.,
Hughes Arwel V.,
Daulton Emma L.,
Arunmanee Wanatchaporn,
Heinrich Frank,
Khalid Syma,
Jefferies Damien,
Charlton Timothy R.,
Webster John R. P.,
Kinane Christian J.,
Lakey Jeremy H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201504287
Subject(s) - bilayer , envelope (radar) , in vitro , biophysics , membrane , in vivo , chemistry , nanotechnology , chemical physics , materials science , biology , biochemistry , computer science , telecommunications , radar , microbiology and biotechnology
Gram‐negative bacteria are an increasingly serious source of antibiotic‐resistant infections, partly owing to their characteristic protective envelope. This complex, 20 nm thick barrier includes a highly impermeable, asymmetric bilayer outer membrane (OM), which plays a pivotal role in resisting antibacterial chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the OM molecular structure and its dynamics are poorly understood because the structure is difficult to recreate or study in vitro. The successful formation and characterization of a fully asymmetric model envelope using Langmuir–Blodgett and Langmuir–Schaefer methods is now reported. Neutron reflectivity and isotopic labeling confirmed the expected structure and asymmetry and showed that experiments with antibacterial proteins reproduced published in vivo behavior. By closely recreating natural OM behavior, this model provides a much needed robust system for antibiotic development.