outer membrane vesicles
Research ArticleAmbient pH Alters the Protein Content of Outer Membrane Vesicles, Driving Host Development in a Beneficial SymbiosisBeneficial bacteria communicate with their hosts through a variety of means. These communications are often carried out by a combination of molecules that stimulate responses from the host and are necessary for development of the relationship between these organisms. Naturally produced bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) contain many of those molecules and can stimulate a wide range of responses from recipient organisms. Here, we...
Research ArticlePlasmid Characteristics Modulate the Propensity of Gene Exchange in Bacterial VesiclesExtracellular vesicle formation and exchange are common within bacterial populations. Vesicles package multiple types of biomolecules, including genetic material. The exchange of extracellular vesicles containing genetic material facilitates interspecies DNA transfer and may be a promiscuous mechanism of horizontal gene transfer. Unlike other mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer, it is unclear whether characteristics of the exchanged...
Research ArticlePmrC (EptA) and CptA Negatively Affect Outer Membrane Vesicle Production in Citrobacter rodentiumAlthough OMVs secreted by Gram-negative bacteria fulfill multiple functions, the molecular mechanism of OMV biogenesis remains ill defined. Our group has previously shown that PmrC (also known as EptA) and CptA maintain OM integrity and provide resistance to iron toxicity and antibiotics in the murine pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. In several enteric bacteria, these...