Escherichia coli SPFH Membrane Microdomain Proteins HflKC Contribute to Aminoglycoside and Oxidative Stress Tolerance
Aimee K. Wessel, Yutaka Yoshii, Alexander Reder, Rym Boudjemaa, Magdalena Szczesna, Jean‐Michel Betton, Joaquín Bernal-Bayard, Christophe Beloin, Daniel López, Uwe Völker, Jean‐Marc Ghigo
Abstract
flK/C (SPFH) superfamily, which are also present in prokaryotes but have been mostly studied in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we showed that the cell localization of the SPFH proteins QmcA and HflKC in the Gram-negative bacterium E. coli is altered in the absence of cardiolipin lipid synthesis. This suggests that cardiolipins contribute to E. coli membrane microdomain assembly. Using a broad phenotypic analysis, we also showed that HflKC contribute to E. coli tolerance to aminoglycosides and oxidative stress. Our study, therefore, provides new insights into the cellular processes associated with SPFH proteins in E. coli.