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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2021 Nov 3;20(4):236–248. doi: 10.1038/s41579-021-00638-0

Figure 2: Outer membrane rheology and spatial organization are highly distinct from that of the PG or IM.

Figure 2:

A) While the PG behaves as a relatively immobile solid due to its highly crosslinked nature, and the IM behaves as a liquid with rapid diffusion of lipids, the OM exhibits limited diffusivity. LPS molecules (purple) and OMPs (red) appear largely immobile, although there is some evidence of diffusive motion in the OM79. Green circles represent proteins with relatively high diffusivity.

B) At the nanoscale, LPS molecules and OMPs exist in small clusters. At the cellular scale, the density of fluorescently labeled OMPs along the cylindrical portion of the cell is diluted by growth, while the density at the poles remains high.

C) At the mesoscale, islands (represented by irregular shapes) including proteins such as the BAM complex expand and spread apart due to insertion of new materials along the cylindrical portion of the cell. After division, clusters at the old pole remain in one daughter cell, while clusters at the new pole have been trapped there by cytokinesis.