{
  "id": 12281107,
  "title": "An expanded LPS translocon mediates surface lipoprotein export in the Bacteroidota",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/an-expanded-lps-translocon-mediates-surface-lipoprotein-export-in-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.03.756453v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cell surface lipoproteins (SLPs) are vital components in the pathogenesis and cell biology of gram-negative bacteria, but the mechanism by which they reach the cell surface has remained elusive, except in specific instances. In this study, researchers have discovered that in Bacteroidota bacteria, a group that includes significant human commensals and anaerobic pathogens, SLP export is facilitated by the outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocon. By isolating and analyzing LPS translocon complexes from two different Bacteroidota species, the researchers found that these complexes are significantly larger and more complex than the conventional model in Escherichia coli, with up to eight additional subunits positioned within and on the outer membrane.\n\nThe study confirms the essential role of the core LptD subunit and four of the extra Bacteroidota-specific subunits in the process of SLP export. The expansion of the LPS translocon in Bacteroidota bacteria could potentially enable the export of the highly complex SLPs characteristic of this phylum. This finding suggests that SLP export may be a secondary, conserved function of the LPS transport pathway across gram-negative bacteria, highlighting the versatility and importance of this mechanism in bacterial survival and adaptation.",
  "summary": "Cell surface lipoproteins (SLPs) play crucial roles in the pathogenesis and cell biology of gram-negative bacteria, yet the route by which they reach the cell surface has remained unknown except in special cases. Here we show that in Bacteroidota bacteria, a phylum that includes prominent human commensals and anaerobic pathogens, SLP export is carried out by the outer membrane lipopolysaccharide…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "bioRxiv",
        "title": "An Expanded Lpt Pathway Couples Surface Lipoprotein Export to Outer Membrane Vesicle Biogenesis in Bacteroides",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/an-expanded-lpt-pathway-couples-surface-lipoprotein-export-to-outer",
        "published": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}