Structural Aspects of Bacterial Outer Membrane Protein Assembly

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is predominantly populated by beta-Barrel proteins and lipid anchored proteins that serve a variety of biological functions. The proper folding and assembly of these proteins is essential for bacterial viability and often plays a critical role in virulence and pathogenesis. The beta-barrel assembly machinery (Bam) complex is responsible for the proper assembly of beta-barrels into the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, whereas the localization of lipoproteins (Lol) system is required for proper targeting of lipoproteins to the outer membrane.