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Updated: Aug 23, 2025

A Tandem Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry-based Approach for Metabolite Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus
Published on: March 28, 2017
Staphylococcus aureus Carotenoids Modulate the Thermotropic Phase Behavior of Model Systems That Mimic Its Membrane
Marcela Manrique-Moreno1, Małgorzata Jemioła-Rzemińska2,3, Jessica Múnera-Jaramillo1
1Chemistry Institute, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, Colombia.
Abstract:
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a pathogenic gram-positive bacterium that normally resides in the skin and nose of the human body. It is subject to fluctuations in environmental conditions that may affect the integrity of the membrane. S. aureus produces carotenoids, which act as antioxidants. However, these carotenoids have also been implicated in modulating the biophysical properties of the membrane. Here, we investigate how carotenoids modulate the thermotropic phase behavior of model systems that mimic the phospholipid composition of S. aureus. We found that carotenoids depress the main phase transition of DMPG and CL, indicating that they strongly affect cooperativity of membrane lipids in their gel phase. In addition, carotenoids modulate the phase behavior of mixtures of DMPG and CL, indicating that they may play a role in modulation of lipid domain formation in S. aureus membranes.
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