Bacterial membrane lipids and proteins

The bacterial membrane, composed of a complex assembly of lipids and proteins, serves as a critical structural and functional barrier between the bacterium and its environment (Epand et al., 2016). Unlike eukaryotic membranes, bacterial membranes are characterized by a high proportion of negatively charged phospholipids such as phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin, and in Gram-negative bacteria, an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharides (Hurdle et al., 2011). These unique features make the membrane an attractive therapeutic target for antibiotics like polymyxins and daptomycin, which exploit charge differences to selectively disrupt bacterial integrity (Bajaj et al., 2021). Beyond structural roles, the membrane houses essential proteins involved in energy production, such as ATP synthase, and cell division, which are also targeted by modern antimicrobials like bedaquiline (Hurdle et al., 2011). Targeting the membrane is particularly effective against persistent or dormant infections where traditional biosynthetic pathways are inactive (Hurdle et al., 2011).

Other names

Bacterial cell membraneBacterial cytoplasmic membraneBacterial envelopeBacterial lipid bilayer

Disruption of membrane physical integrity, pore formation, depolarization of the membrane potential, and inhibition of essential membrane-bound enzymes such as ATP synthase (Hurdle et al., 2011; Epand et al., 2016).