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Mechanosensitive Channels: Their Mechanisms and Roles in Preserving Bacterial Ultrastructure During Adaptation to Environmental Changes

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Bacterial Physiology

The integrity of bacterial cells has long been identified with the possession of the peptidoglycan cell wall. However, the presence of “natural“ disruptive forces has been recognized for almost 60 years. Mitchell determined that bacteria possess an outwardly directed turgor pressure of greater than 4 atmospheres. Other early experiments indicated that the substantial pools of amino acids that are retained by bacteria could be released very rapidly by hypoosmotic shock. More recently, two new elements have been added to the equation, one of which is universal and the other may have more limited distribution. The first is the discovery of mechanosensitive channels that open rapidly, producing large holes in the cytoplasmic membrane, in response to increases in membrane tension. The second is that the cell wall is a dynamic structure, in which changes are required during adaptation to stress. The interplay between the two phenomena is examined in this chapter, with much emphasis being placed on the structure and function of mechanosensitive channels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK

    Ian R. Booth, Samantha Miller, Akiko Rasmussen, Tim Rasmussen & Michelle D. Edwards

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  1. Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Walid El-Sharoud (Faculty of Agriculture) (Faculty of Agriculture)

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Booth, I.R., Miller, S., Rasmussen, A., Rasmussen, T., Edwards, M.D. (2008). Mechanosensitive Channels: Their Mechanisms and Roles in Preserving Bacterial Ultrastructure During Adaptation to Environmental Changes. In: El-Sharoud, W. (eds) Bacterial Physiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74921-9_3

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