Multilamellar and Multivesicular Outer Membrane Vesicles Produced by a Buttiauxella agrestis tolB Mutant

Abstract

Membrane vesicle (MV) formation has been recognized as a common mechanism in prokaryotes, and MVs play critical roles in intercellular interaction. However, a broad range of MV types and their multiple production processes make it difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of MVs. In this work, using vesicle separation and electron microscopic analyses, we demonstrated that diverse types of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) were released from an engineered strain, Buttiauxella agrestis JCM 1090 T Δ tolB mutant. We also discovered a previously undiscovered type of vesicle, multilamellar/multivesicular outer membrane vesicles (M-OMVs), which were released by this mutant using unconventional processes. These findings have facilitated considerable progress in understanding MV diversity and expanding the utility of MVs in biotechnological applications.