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Related Concept Videos

Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, which...
Lipids as Anchors01:32

Lipids as Anchors

In the plasma membrane, the lipids forming the bilayer can also act as an anchor to tether proteins to the membrane. The three main types of lipid anchors found in eukaryotes are – prenyl groups, fatty acyl groups, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol or GPI groups. Prenyl and fatty acyl groups act as anchors on the cytosolic surface of the membrane, whereas GPI anchors proteins on the extracellular side.
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains the...
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism01:28

Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

Lipids also are sources of energy that power cellular processes. Like carbohydrates, lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but these atoms are arranged differently. Most lipids are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Major types include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids.
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
Structure of Lipids03:38

Structure of Lipids

Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic birds and...
Structure of Lipids03:38

Structure of Lipids

Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic birds and...

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Correction: Ornithine lipids and other acyloxyacyl amino lipids: the coming-of-age story of a group of non-canonical membrane lipids.

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Optimized Negative Staining: a High-throughput Protocol for Examining Small and Asymmetric Protein Structure by Electron Microscopy
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Ornithine lipids and their structural modifications: from A to E and beyond.

Miguel Á Vences-Guzmán1, Otto Geiger, Christian Sohlenkamp

  • 1Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|June 26, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Ornithine lipids (OLs) are unique phosphorus-free bacterial membrane lipids. Modifications to OLs help bacteria adapt to environmental stress by altering membrane properties without synthesizing new lipids.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Lipidomics

Background:

  • Ornithine lipids (OLs) are phosphorus-free membrane lipids found in eubacteria, but not archaea or eukaryotes.
  • They consist of two fatty acyl groups linked to ornithine via amide and ester bonds.
  • Approximately 25% of sequenced bacterial genomes suggest the capacity to synthesize OLs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the structural diversity and functional significance of ornithine lipid modifications.
  • To understand the role of OLs in bacterial adaptation to environmental stress.

Main Methods:

  • Genomic analysis to predict OL synthesis pathways.
  • Lipidomic analysis to identify and characterize OL structures and modifications.
  • Bioinformatic approaches to study bacterial lipid metabolism.

Main Results:

  • Distinct hydroxylations occur on ester-linked fatty acids, amide-linked fatty acids, and the ornithine moiety of OLs.
  • These modifications are associated with bacterial stress responses.
  • OL modifications allow for rapid adjustment of membrane properties.

Conclusions:

  • Ornithine lipids represent a versatile class of bacterial lipids involved in environmental adaptation.
  • Modifications to existing OLs provide a flexible mechanism for bacteria to cope with changing conditions.
  • Further research into OLs can reveal novel insights into bacterial membrane biology and stress physiology.