LPS Remodeling Triggers Formation of Outer Membrane Vesicles in <i>Salmonella</i>

Abstract

The role of lipid remodeling in vesiculation is well documented in eukaryotes. Similarly, bacteria produce membrane-derived vesicles; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their production are yet to be determined. In this work, we investigated the role of outer membrane remodeling in OMV biogenesis in S Typhimurium. We showed that the expression of the lipid A deacylase PagL results in overvesiculation with deacylated lipid A accumulation exclusively in OMV. An S Typhimurium ΔpagL strain showed a significant reduction in intracellular OMV secretion relative to the wild-type strain. Our results suggest a novel mechanism for OMV biogenesis that involves outer membrane remodeling through lipid A modification. Understanding how OMV are produced by bacteria is important to advance our understanding of the host-pathogen interactions.