Lipid bilayer of microbial or viral membrane

The lipid bilayer of microbial or viral membranes is a double-layered sheet of phospholipids and other lipid species that forms the fundamental barrier of bacteria, archaea, and enveloped viruses[2][3][4][5]. In microbes, it is primarily composed of amphiphilic molecules such as phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin) that organize into two opposing leaflets, creating an impermeable barrier to most water-soluble substances and ions, and thus preserving cellular homeostasis[2][4][5]. In viruses, the lipid bilayer (envelope) is derived from host membranes and functions to protect the viral genome, facilitate attachment to host cells, and enable membrane fusion required for infection[3][7]. This structure can be targeted by several classes of antimicrobial and antiviral agents that disrupt its integrity, leading to cell lysis or viral inactivation. Changes in lipid bilayer composition, order, and associated proteins can influence pathogenicity, drug resistance, and susceptibility to pharmacological interventions[4][5]. Because microbial and viral lipid bilayers may share features with human cell membranes, therapeutics targeting them risk off-target effects, especially nephrotoxicity and neurological toxicity with agents like polymyxins.

Other names

lipid bilayerphospholipid bilayermicrobial membrane lipid bilayerviral membrane lipid bilayerbiological membrane

Disruption of bilayer integrity (e.g., by polymyxin disrupting bacterial outer membrane); Increased membrane permeability (e.g., daptomycin inserts into and depolarizes bacterial membranes); Pore formation (e.g., amphotericin B forms pores in fungal and some viral membranes); Fusion inhibition (interference with viral entry).