The bacterial genus Mycobacterium comprises numerous pathogenic species including M. tuberculosis, the causative agent of the disease tuberculosis. Mycobacteria are obligate aerobes that generate cellular energy through oxidative phosphorylation, the combined activities of the electron transport chain (ETC) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase. This reliance on oxidative phosphorylation makes the process an attractive target for development of drugs to treat mycobacterial infections. However, targeting the ETC is complicated by the highly branched nature of the chain in mycobacteria and the ability of mycobacteria to alter the expression of ETC constituents in different growth conditions. Here, we review recent characterization of the branched and flexible ETC in mycobacteria, with an emphasis on the structural characterization of mycobacterial ETC complexes by electron cryomicroscopy.
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Cover Image
Macrophages are innate immune cells responsible for a variety of tissue-specific homeostatic functions and responding to infiltrating pathogens. A lot of what we know about macrophages comes from studies on unphysiological 2D plastic dishes, however new insights into macrophage biology are emerging thanks to 3D cell culture technology (see the review in this issue by Cutter et al., pages 387–401). Depicted here is a macrophage suspended within a neon 3D dimension. Image provided by Katrina Binger.
Structural analysis of mycobacterial electron transport chain complexes by cryoEM
Yingke Liang, John L. Rubinstein; Structural analysis of mycobacterial electron transport chain complexes by cryoEM. Biochem Soc Trans 27 February 2023; 51 (1): 183–193. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20220611
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