Prophage-triggered membrane vesicle formation through peptidoglycan damage in Bacillus subtilis

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00492-w
• Publication Date: 2017-09-01T15:05:26Z
• Authors: Masanori Toyofuku; Gerardo Cárcamo-O...; Tatsuya Yamamoto; Fabian Eisenstein; Chien-Chi Hsiao; Masaharu Kurosawa; Karl Gademann; Martin Pilhofer; Nobuhiko Nomura; Leo Eberl
• Keywords: Lysin; Prophage; Cell membrane

Abstract Bacteria release membrane vesicles (MVs) that play important roles in various biological processes. However, the mechanisms of MV formation Gram-positive bacteria are unclear, as these cells possess a single cytoplasmic is surrounded by thick cell wall. Here we use live imaging and electron cryo-tomography to describe mechanism for Bacillus subtilis . We show expression prophage-encoded endolysin sub-population generates holes peptidoglycan Through openings, material protrudes into extracellular space released MVs. Due loss integrity, induced eventually die. The vesicle-producing induce neighboring enzymatic action endolysin. Our results support idea endolysins may be bacteria, this potentially useful production MVs applications biomedicine nanotechnology.