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Updated: Sep 21, 2025

From Constructs to Crystals – Towards Structure Determination of β-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins
Published on: July 4, 2016
Function of the Omp85 Superfamily of Outer Membrane Protein Assembly Factors and Polypeptide Transporters
Matthew Thomas Doyle1,2, Harris D Bernstein1
1Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA;
Abstract:
The Omp85 protein superfamily is found in the outer membrane (OM) of all gram-negative bacteria and eukaryotic organelles of bacterial origin. Members of the family catalyze both the membrane insertion of β-barrel proteins and the translocation of proteins across the OM. Although the mechanism(s) by which these proteins function is unclear, striking new insights have emerged from recent biochemical and structural studies. In this review we discuss the entire Omp85 superfamily but focus on the function of the best-studied member, BamA, which is an essential and highly conserved component of the bacterial barrel assembly machinery (BAM). Because BamA has multiple functions that overlap with those of other Omp85 proteins, it is likely the prototypical member of the Omp85 superfamily. Furthermore, BamA has become a protein of great interest because of the recent discovery of small-molecule inhibitors that potentially represent an important new class of antibiotics.
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