Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Scalable Isolation and Purification of Extracellular Vesicles from Escherichia coli and Other Bacteria
09:56

Scalable Isolation and Purification of Extracellular Vesicles from Escherichia coli and Other Bacteria

Published on: October 13, 2021

Bacterial extracellular vesicles promote membrane repair and tolerance to polymyxin B

Julia Bos1, Yasmina Abou Haydar1,2, Olena Mayboroda3,4

  • 1Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, 75015 Paris, France.

Science Advances
|June 10, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) rapidly sequester polymyxin B, aiding in its removal and repairing cell damage. This process helps bacteria survive antibiotic stress and recover growth.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released under stress but their role in antibiotic interaction is unclear.
  • Understanding EV-antibiotic interactions is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the real-time interactions between *Escherichia coli*, EVs, and the antibiotic polymyxin B (Pmb).
  • To elucidate the functions of EVs in bacterial response to membrane-active antibiotics.

Main Methods:

  • Single-cell imaging and cytometric approaches were used to track interactions.
  • Fluorescently labeled polymyxin B was employed to monitor antibiotic localization and sequestration.

Main Results:

  • EVs rapidly sequestered Pmb, removing it from bacterial envelopes and plugging damaged sites.
  • Pmb induced stress responses, reducing cell surface area and increasing vesiculation (EV release).
  • Sustained EV release facilitated detoxification, envelope repair, and transient antibiotic tolerance.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial EVs play a significant role in sequestering and detoxifying membrane-active antibiotics like Pmb.
  • EVs contribute to bacterial envelope repair and mediate tolerance to antibiotic stress.
  • These findings reveal novel functions of EVs in bacterial defense mechanisms.

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