Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Professor Jeremy LakeyORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2020 The Author(s).The use of neutrons as a scattering probe to investigate biological membranes has steadily grown in the past three decades, shedding light on the structure and behaviour of this ubiquitous and fundamental biological barrier. Meanwhile, the rise of antibiotic resistance has catalysed a renewed interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of antibiotics interaction with the bacterial cell envelope. It is widely recognised that the key reason behind the remarkable success of Gram-negative pathogens in developing antibiotic resistance lies in the effectiveness of their outer membrane (OM) in defending the cell from antibacterial compounds. Critical to its function, the highly asymmetric lipid distribution between the inner and outer bilayer leaflets of the OM, adds an extra level of complexity to the study of this crucial defence barrier. Here we review the opportunities offered by neutron scattering techniques, in particular reflectometry, to provide structural information on the interactions of antimicrobials with in vitro models of the OM. The differential sensitivity of neutrons towards hydrogen and deuterium makes them a unique probe to study the structure and behaviour of asymmetric membranes. Molecular-level understanding of the interactions between antimicrobials and the Gram-negative OM provides valuable insights that can aid drug development and broaden our knowledge of this critically important biological barrier.
Author(s): Paracini N, Clifton LA, Lakey JH
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Biochemical Society transactions
Year: 2020
Volume: 48
Issue: 5
Pages: 2139-2149
Online publication date: 02/10/2020
Acceptance date: 01/09/2020
Date deposited: 12/01/2021
ISSN (print): 0300-5127
ISSN (electronic): 1470-8752
Publisher: Portland Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20200320
DOI: 10.1042/BST20200320
PubMed id: 33005925
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
