Specific roles of phosphatidylglycerols in hosts and microbes

Phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) are specific phospholipids bearing negatively charged polar headgroups. Although recognized for long as a major lipid component of membranes in bacteria, it is considered a minor lipid in higher eukaryotes, due to its low abundance in biological fluids or tissues. However, new sensitive lipidomic approaches now provide tools for accurate quantification of PGs in biological samples, and this is likely to uncover new roles for these phospholipids in the near future. This paper reviews our present knowledge in PG function, from studies in microbes and eukaryotic cells, and gathers in one place a diverse range of information spread across many fields. The physical properties of PGs, their biological distribution and molecular functions make them potential actors in host-microbe interaction.