MmpL transporter-mediated export of cell-wall associated lipids and siderophores in mycobacteria

Mycobacteria produce a large variety of surface-exposed lipids with unusual structures. Some of these compounds are ubiquitously present in mycobacteria and play an important role in the structural organization of the cell envelope, while others are species-specific. The biosynthesis of most of these lipids requires modular polyketide synthases (PKS) or non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) that are intracellular, suggesting that the assembly...