Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2025
08:07
A "Plug-And-Display" Nanoparticle Vaccine Platform Based on Outer Membrane Vesicles Displaying SARS-CoV-2 Receptor-Binding Domain
Published on: July 25, 2022
2.6K
The Two Faces of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles: Pathophysiological Roles and Therapeutic Opportunities
Himadri B Thapa1, Stephan P Ebenberger1, Stefan Schild1,2,3
1Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 28, 2023
Summary
Bacterial membrane vesicles (MVs) are tiny particles released by bacteria that can help them survive and cause disease. These MVs also offer exciting possibilities for new therapies and drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Bacterial membrane vesicles (MVs) are nanoparticles released by bacteria.
- MVs play roles in bacterial communication, adaptation, and pathogenesis.
- They carry various bioactive molecules, influencing host-pathogen interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biogenesis and functions of bacterial MVs.
- To highlight the role of MVs in bacterial fitness and disease.
- To explore therapeutic applications of MVs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of bacterial MV biogenesis and function.
- Analysis of MV roles in pathogen survival and virulence.
- Summary of current and potential therapeutic uses of MVs.
Main Results:
- MV biogenesis pathways influence their cargo and function.
- MVs contribute to pathogen adaptation, colonization, and immune evasion.
- A link exists between MV production, disease, and antibiotic resistance.
- MVs have potential in immunotherapy, vaccination, and drug delivery.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial MVs are crucial for pathogen survival and virulence.
- Understanding MV biology opens avenues for novel therapeutic strategies.
- MVs can be engineered for targeted drug delivery and antimicrobial applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics
68
Microorganisms play a fundamental role in vaccine development, gene therapy, and therapeutic production. Their biological properties are harnessed to advance medicine and public health. Beyond immunization, microorganisms contribute to gut health, antibiotic synthesis, and genetic disease treatment.Live Attenuated and Inactivated VaccinesLive attenuated vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, utilize weakened forms of pathogens to closely resemble natural infections.
68
01:44Introduction to Membrane Traffic
7.2K
The ER, Golgi apparatus, endosomes, and lysosomes work in tandem to modify, sort, and package proteins and lipids. An integrated membrane trafficking network facilitates the back and forth shuttling of molecules within different organelles in the same cell or across the cell membrane.
The transport of soluble and membrane proteins is mediated by transport vesicles that collect cargo from one cellular compartment and deliver it to another by fusing with the target organelle membrane. The Rab...
The transport of soluble and membrane proteins is mediated by transport vesicles that collect cargo from one cellular compartment and deliver it to another by fusing with the target organelle membrane. The Rab...
7.2K
01:38Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
3.6K
Intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) are small vesicles 50-80 nm in diameter formed during the maturation of early endosomes. A specialized endosome containing numerous ILVs is called a multivesicular body (MVB). ILVs contain internalized molecules such as antigens, nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. Some of these molecules are released from the MVBs inside exosomes and are transported to other cells. Other MVBs contain molecules that are retained in the ILVs and are later degraded within the...
3.6K
01:35Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
7.3K
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%...
7.3K
01:18Membrane Domains
5.5K
The membrane domains concentrate specific lipids and proteins at one place within the membrane, which helps in cell signaling, adhesion, and other critical cellular processes. These domains can differ in size, composition, function, and lifespan.
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the...
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the...
5.5K
01:24What are Membranes?
13.5K
A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries...
13.5K