Dynamic players and intricate interactions: An integrated investigation of the Mla lipid transport system.

The Maintenance of outer membrane (OM) Lipid Asymmetry system mediates retrograde phospholipid transport from the OM to the inner membrane (IM) in Gram-negative bacteria. However, the interactions between the various subunits of the IM and OM complexes are not well understood. In a recent study in 2023 by MacRae et al. in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the authors examine components in the Maintenance of OM Lipid Asymmetry complex, define the interaction interfaces between members of the pathway, and propose a molecular model of the lipid transfer process from the OM to the IM that will help elucidate intricacies of lipid transport.