Journal: Nature
This study presents the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the β-barrel-assembly machinery (BAM) complex from Flavobacterium johnsoniae, a bacterium within the Bacteroidota phylum.
Unlike the canonical BAM system in Escherichia coli, this complex features:
- an extensive extracellular canopy
- unique subunits, BamG and BamH, which are essential for function and conserved across Bacteroidota
BamH’s distinct roles were further clarified through suppressor mutation analysis.
These adaptations likely accommodate the complex outer membrane proteins characteristic of Bacteroidota, highlighting a specialized BAM machinery distinct from other Gram-negative bacteria.