Structure and lipid dynamics in the maintenance of lipid asymmetry inner membrane complex of A. baumannii

Daniel Mann, Junping Fan, Kamolrat Somboon, Daniel P Farrell, Andrew Muenks, Svetomir B Tzokov, Frank DiMaio, Syma Khalid, Samuel I Miller, Julien R C Bergeron

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Multi-resistant bacteria are a major threat in modern medicine. The gram-negative coccobacillus Acinetobacter baumannii currently leads the WHO list of pathogens in critical need for new therapeutic development. The maintenance of lipid asymmetry (MLA) protein complex is one of the core machineries that transport lipids from/to the outer membrane in gram-negative bacteria. It also contributes to broad-range antibiotic resistance in several pathogens, most prominently in A. baumannii. Nonetheless, the molecular details of its role in lipid transport has remained largely elusive. Here, we report the cryo-EM maps of the core MLA complex, MlaBDEF, from the pathogen A. baumannii, in the apo-, ATP- and ADP-bound states, revealing multiple lipid binding sites in the cytosolic and periplasmic side of the complex. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest their potential trajectory across the membrane. Collectively with the recently-reported structures of the E. coli orthologue, this data also allows us to propose a molecular mechanism of lipid transport by the MLA system.

Original languageEnglish
Article number817
JournalCommunications Biology
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Jun 2021

Keywords

  • Acinetobacter baumannii/chemistry
  • Adenosine Triphosphate/chemistry
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Membrane/chemistry
  • Cryoelectron Microscopy
  • Membrane Lipids/chemistry
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Structure and lipid dynamics in the maintenance of lipid asymmetry inner membrane complex of A. baumannii'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this