Surface sensing and metabolic signals drive feedback regulation of long polar fimbriae in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157
Bacterial colonization requires coordinated regulation of adhesion structures in response to environmental conditions. While metabolic regulation of adhesin expression is well established, how surface sensing contributes to this regulation remains less understood. Here, we investigated the regulation and function of long polar fimbriae (Lpf) in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157. We show…
The study explores the impact of bacterial cell size and membrane surface area on Escherichia coli growth rates, both aerobic and anaerobic. Cells are finite in physical dimensions, constrained by surface area to volume ratios, and have membrane capacity limitations for protein hosting. A parameter called specific membrane surface area (sMSA) quantifies these biophysical traits and can be applied to systems biology analyses.
This theory predicts and interprets bacterial phenotypes like maximum growth rates, respiration efficiency, and energy generation potential. The research on E. coli specifically recreates the membrane proteome based on growth rate. It reveals that both aerobic and anaerobic cultures' maximum growth rates adhere to similar cell biology constraints, including a balance between biomass macromolecule synthesis and maintenance energy generation.
The study further reveals the membrane's capacity to dissipate energy during various metabolic processes and supports the sMSA theory as a key driver of metabolism in both oxygenated and non-oxygenated environments.
Written by urgent.news from bioRxiv's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
