MEMBMACS: Membrane machineries for protein and solute transport through the bacterial cell envelope

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0752-2

Key words (English)

Microbiology; protein secretion; bacterial virulence; Yersinia;
Education; Training; Scientific Research; Social Aspects

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: HPRN-2000-00075

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 4.1.1 Research training networks

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Institut Pasteur, Paris (F), Biozentrum, University of Basel (CH), University of Groningen (NL), Foundation for Research and Technology, Iraklion (EL), University of Konstanz (D), CNRS, Strasbourg (F), University of Utrecht (NL)

Abstract (English)

The envelope of Gram-negative bacteria consists of the periplasm and the murein cell wall bordered by the cytoplasmic and outer lipid bilayer membranes. The two membranes and the murein must be successfully breached for proteins to reach their final destination in the cell envelope or in the surrounding medium. Without specific machineries to export and secrete proteins, bacteria would be unable to assemble their cell envelopes, to compete in environments rich in degradable polymers used in metabolism, to produce toxins or nutrient scavengers and to extract sufficient iron from the growth milieu to permit aerobic growth. The common theme of the programme is that all of the processes under study involve complex, pertinacious machineries for binding and transporting proteins. These machineries allow communication between the cytoplasm and the outer membrane and are essential for life and/or pathogenicity.

Characterisation of these machineries will provide vital information on their assembly, structure and molecular mechanisms. The network brings together acknowledged experts in all fields of membrane molecular biology into a coordinated collaborative project that will make a major contribution to the structural and functional characterisation of complex membrane machineries involved in four distinct but related processes of protein or polymer translocation across the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. The complete inventory of protein components is now available. The challenge and our major objective is to understand how these machineries are assembled from individual subunits, how they are energised and how they function. The success of the project is guaranteed by the integration of the molecular, biochemical and structural expertise that individual laboratories possess. The collective, active contribution of all members of this European will create a unique, highly powerful consortium that will be the major world force in the study of the genesis and function of the bacterial cell envelope, with a potentially major impact on biotechnology and pharmacy through the development of a greater understanding of fundamental processes specific to bacteria.
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References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0752-2