Scientists have discovered how bacteria use liquid protein droplets to overcome stress

Scientists have revealed how bacteria generate tiny droplets from proteins to help them survive in harsh environments, thereby reducing their chances of being killed by antibiotics

The study revealed how aggregates (tiny droplets of several different proteins) are formed when the stress experienced by bacteria increases, and these bacteria can form aggregates that survive these stresses more successfully

A research team led by scientists from York University and Peking University found that environmental stress is related to a decrease in the level of a chemical substance called ATP in bacteria

This research may help solve the mystery of how certain types of bacteria survive long-term antibiotic treatment and increase the possibility of complete resistance to antibiotics through genetic mutations

Using advanced optical microscopes and computational models, the researchers showed that the formation of droplets is explained by the physics of "liquid-liquid separation"

By assembling the proteins essential to core cell processes into droplets, bacteria can effectively store them when the cells are shut down, keeping them safe when the harmful environment subsides, and at the same time helping the cells to recover again

One of the main authors of the study, Professor Mark Lick of the Department of Physics and Biology of York University, said: "Our research shows that aggregates in bacteria are highly dynamic structures; they are what we call "organelles", but They lack a kind of membrane on the outside, and this kind of membrane is usually found in the organelles of more in-depth study, such as the nucleus of our own cells

"Relying on more fixed structures such as membrane-bound organelles is too slow: they cannot allow bacteria to react fast enough to the rapidly changing environment, because the formation and rupture of cell membranes and the choice of which molecular components can enter and leave take time

An international team of researchers from multiple disciplines including biophysics, microbiology, genetics, mathematics, and computer science contributed to this research

The team used fluorescent tags on polymer protein molecules to track their location in living E.

Professor Leake added: “The only way we can obtain this new understanding is through a large team of expertise across multiple disciplines, using advanced biophysics in experiments from my team, and innovative theoretical methods from Tom.

"As we have done here, studying how these amazing biological droplets work at a single molecular scale may help us understand why things go wrong in certain diseases, not just caused by bacteria.

Finish- - -

Note editing

The membraneless organelles formed by liquid-liquid separation increase the adaptability of bacteria.

International research teams from York University, Newcastle University, and Peking University in China participated in this research

Jin et al.

Magazine

Scientific progress

Subject of research

cell

Article title

The membraneless organelles formed by liquid-liquid separation increase the fitness of bacteria

Article publication date

October 20--2021