Cell: The bacterial membrane protein PspA has striking structural similarities with the human membrane protein ESCRT-III

June 30, 2021/Bio Valley BIOON/---The cells of simple organisms such as bacteria, as well as the cells of humans, are surrounded by a membrane

PspA plays a key role in bacterial stress response

The phage shock protein (Psp) system was discovered in bacteria about 30 years ago

The co-corresponding author of the paper, Professor Dirk Schneider of the Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, explained, “Today, we know that the Psp system is activated in response to many types of membrane stress

In this new study, these authors carefully studied the phage shock protein A (PspA), which plays a key role in the Psp system

The picture is from Cell, 2021, doi:10.

The co-corresponding author of the paper, Professor Carsten Sachse of the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, said, "Thousands of PspA building blocks can be assembled into large spiral structures

PspA reshapes membrane structure

Under a cryo-electron microscope, these authors were able to resolve the structure of PspA

ESCRT-III protein exists in all organisms with a true nucleus, including human cells

The authors wrote, "Based on the similar structural and functional properties of PspA and eukaryotic ESCRT-III proteins, we determined that PspA is a bacterial member of the evolutionarily conserved ESCRT-III membrane remodeling protein superfamily

Reference materials:

Benedikt Junglas et al.