We previously showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) assembly requires the essential LapB protein to regulate FtsH-mediated proteolysis of LpxC protein that catalyzes the first committed step in the LPS synthesis. To further understand the essential function of LapB and its role in LpxC turnover, multicopy suppressors of ΔlapB revealed that overproduction of HslV protease subunit prevents its lethality by proteolytic degradation...

To identify the physiological factors that limit the growth of Escherichia coli K-12 strains synthesizing minimal lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we describe the first construction of strains devoid of the entire waa locus and concomitantly lacking all three acyltransferases (LpxL/LpxM/LpxP), synthesizing minimal lipid IVA derivatives with a restricted ability to grow at around 21 °C. Suppressors restoring growth up to 37 °C of Δ(gmhD-waaA)...

Consistent with a role in catalyzing rate-limiting step of protein folding, removal of genes encoding cytoplasmic protein folding catalysts belonging to the family of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIs) in Escherichia coli confers conditional lethality. To address the molecular basis of the essentiality of PPIs, a multicopy suppressor approach revealed that overexpression of genes encoding chaperones (DnaK/J and GroL/S),...