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Science 10 January 2003:
Vol. 299. no. 5604, pp. 262 - 265
DOI: 10.1126/science.1078973
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Reports

Role of a Highly Conserved Bacterial Protein in Outer Membrane Protein Assembly

Romé Voulhoux, Martine P. Bos, Jeroen Geurtsen, Maarten Mols, Jan Tommassen*

After transport across the cytoplasmic membrane, bacterial outer membrane proteins are assembled into the outer membrane. Meningococcal Omp85 is a highly conserved protein in Gram-negative bacteria, and its homolog Toc75 is a component of the chloroplast protein-import machinery. Omp85 appeared to be essential for viability, and unassembled forms of various outer membrane proteins accumulated upon Omp85 depletion. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed decreased surface exposure of outer membrane proteins, which was particularly apparent at the cell-division planes. Thus, Omp85 is likely to play a role in outer membrane protein assembly.

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, Netherlands.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.p.m.tommassen{at}bio.uu.nl

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)