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Updated: Aug 6, 2025

From Constructs to Crystals – Towards Structure Determination of β-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins
Published on: July 4, 2016
TonB-Dependent Transport Across the Bacterial Outer Membrane
Augustinas Silale1, Bert van den Berg1
1Biosciences Institute, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; email: augustinas.silale@newcastle.ac.uk, bert.van-den-berg@newcastle.ac.uk.
Abstract:
TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs) are present in all gram-negative bacteria and mediate energy-dependent uptake of molecules that are too scarce or large to be taken up efficiently by outer membrane (OM) diffusion channels. This process requires energy that is derived from the proton motive force and delivered to TBDTs by the TonB-ExbBD motor complex in the inner membrane. Together with the need to preserve the OM permeability barrier, this has led to an extremely complex and fascinating transport mechanism for which the fundamentals, despite decades of research, are still unclear. In this review, we describe our current understanding of the transport mechanism of TBDTs, their potential role in the delivery of novel antibiotics, and the important contributions made by TBDT-associated (lipo)proteins.
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