Mycobacterial Cell Membrane Phospholipids

Mycobacterial cell membrane phospholipids are essential lipid components of the plasma (inner) membrane in mycobacteria, such as *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*. These phospholipids form a bilayer structure typical of bacterial membranes and play critical roles in maintaining membrane integrity, anchoring key glycolipids, and modulating interactions with the host immune system. Major classes of phospholipids include Phosphatidylinositol (PI), which serves as a lipid anchor for important glycolipids like phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs), lipomannan (LM), and lipoarabinomannan (LAM). The biosynthesis pathway for PI involves CDP-diacylglycerol reacting with inositol-phosphate to yield PI-phosphate; this step is catalyzed by an essential enzyme called PIPS. Enzymes involved in PI biosynthesis—such as PIPS—are considered promising drug targets because they are essential for viability but unique to mycobacteria among prokaryotes.

Other names

Mycobacterial phospholipidsMycobacterial membrane lipidsPIPhosphatidylinositolPIMsPhosphatidylinositol mannosides

Some antimicrobial peptides target these negatively charged phospholipid monolayers; for example, human neutrophil peptide HNP-1 interacts directly with mycobacterial membrane phospholipids leading to bactericidal effects