MreB-Dependent Organization of the E. coli Cytoplasmic Membrane Controls Membrane Protein Diffusion

The functional organization of prokaryotic cell membranes, which is essential for many cellular processes, has been challenging to analyze due to the small size and nonflat geometry of bacterial cells. Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and three-dimensional quantitative analyses i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical journal 2016-03, Vol.110 (5), p.1139-1149
Main Authors: Oswald, Felix, Varadarajan, Aravindan, Lill, Holger, Peterman, Erwin J.G., Bollen, Yves J.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cell Membrane - metabolism
Cells
Cytoplasm
Diffusion
E coli
Escherichia coli - metabolism
Escherichia coli Proteins - metabolism
Membrane Microdomains - metabolism
Membrane Proteins - metabolism
Membranes
Polymerization
Proteins
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Summary:The functional organization of prokaryotic cell membranes, which is essential for many cellular processes, has been challenging to analyze due to the small size and nonflat geometry of bacterial cells. Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and three-dimensional quantitative analyses in live Escherichia coli to demonstrate that its cytoplasmic membrane contains microdomains with distinct physical properties. We show that the stability of these microdomains depends on the integrity of the MreB cytoskeletal network underneath the membrane. We explore how the interplay between cytoskeleton and membrane affects trans-membrane protein (TMP) diffusion and reveal that the mobility of the TMPs tested is subdiffusive, most likely caused by confinement of TMP mobility by the submembranous MreB network. Our findings demonstrate that the dynamic architecture of prokaryotic cell membranes is controlled by the MreB cytoskeleton and regulates the mobility of TMPs.
ISSN:0006-3495
1542-0086
DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2016.01.010