Defects in the First Step of Lipoprotein Maturation Underlie the Synthetic Lethality of Escherichia coli Lacking the Inner Membrane Proteins YciB and DcrB

Abstract

A distinguishing feature of Gram-negative bacteria is their double-membraned cell envelope, which presents a formidable barrier against environmental stress. In E. coli , more than a quarter of the cellular proteins reside at the inner membrane, but about a third of these proteins are functionally unassigned or their function is incompletely understood.