ChemBioChem· 2026Q1· Review
Cytoplasmic Lipid Membrane Biogenesis in Prokaryotes: From Soluble Lipid Building Blocks to a Dynamic and Functional Boundary Layer
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Prokaryotic cytoplasmic membranes are built from soluble lipid precursors like lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acid, forming diverse lipid compositions (e.g., phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin in E. coli) and exhibiting leaflet asymmetry and intermembrane transport.
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Key points
- Prokaryotic membranes exhibit structural diversity in bacterial and archaeal cell envelopes.
- Lipid intermediates lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acid are universally important in membrane synthesis.
- Major lipids include phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin, particularly in diderm bacteria like E. coli.
- Recent findings cover lipid leaflet distribution, asymmetry, and intermembrane transport during membrane insertion.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Prokaryotic membranes are fundamental to cellular organization and function, serving as dynamic platforms for transport, energy conservation, signaling, environmental adaptation, etc. This review provides an overview of prokaryotic membrane architecture, highlighting the structural diversity of bacterial and archaeal cell envelopes, focusing on the cytoplasmic membranes and the distinct lipid chemistries that define them. By describing the general pathways for fatty acid and phospholipid biosynthesis, we emphasize the universal role for the lipid intermediates lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acid, as well as the major lipid species phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin of the diderm bacteria Escherichia coli . Besides synthesis, lipid membrane insertion is described, highlighting recent findings regarding lipid leaflet distribution, asymmetry, and intermembrane transport. Altogether, these processes provide a general overview of lipid composition and function of proliferating cells.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. ChemBioChem, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Biochemistry (Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology)
BiochemistryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology