Researchers break through the wall in bacterial membrane vesicle research

(University of Tsukuba) Japanese and Swiss researchers used advanced imaging techniques to investigate the formation of membrane vesicles in a Gram-positive bacterium, a process that is poorly understood, particularly in bacteria with thick cell walls. The consortium showed that membrane vesicle formation was triggered by an enzyme called endolysin that damages the cell wall to create holes that allow the release of membrane vesicles. This mechanism could be exploited for the mass production of bacterial vesicles.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news