Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
Nat Rev Microbiol. 2022 Apr;20(4):236-248. doi: 10.1038/s41579-021-00638-0. Epub 2021 Nov 3.
It has long been appreciated that the Gram-negative outer membrane acts as a permeability barrier, but recent studies have uncovered a more expansive and versatile role for the outer membrane in cellular physiology and viability. Owing to recent developments in microfluidics and microscopy, the structural, rheological and mechanical properties of the outer membrane are becoming apparent across multiple scales. In this Review, we discuss experimental and computational studies that have revealed key molecular factors and interactions that give rise to the spatial organization, limited diffusivity and stress-bearing capacity of the outer membrane. These physical properties suggest broad connections between cellular structure and physiology, and we explore future prospects for further elucidation of the implications of outer membrane construction for cellular fitness and survival.
长期以来，人们一直认为革兰氏阴性外膜起着渗透性屏障的作用，但最近的研究揭示了外膜在细胞生理学和生存能力方面具有更广泛和多样的作用。由于微流控和显微镜技术的最新发展，外膜的结构、流变学和力学性质在多个尺度上变得明显。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了实验和计算研究，这些研究揭示了导致外膜空间组织、有限扩散性和承载能力的关键分子因素和相互作用。这些物理性质表明细胞结构和生理学之间存在广泛的联系，我们探讨了进一步阐明外膜结构对细胞适应性和生存能力的影响的未来前景。
