Atomic force microscopy reveals high heterogeneity in bacterial membrane vesicles
One aspect of bacterial activity is the production of so-called extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs): biological 'packages' wrapped in a lipid-bilayer membrane, carrying for example genetic material. Apart from having specific biological functions, MVs are increasingly used in nanobiotechnological applications, including drug delivery and enzyme transport. In order to better understand the processes involving MVs, a full apprehension of their physical properties is essential. In particular, the degree of heterogeneity of vesicles released by one single type of bacterium is an important point. Now, Azuma Taoka from Kanazawa University, Nobuhiko Nomura from Tsukuba University and colleagues have addressed this question, and demonstrate a previously unrecognized physical heterogeneity in the membrane vesicles of four types of bacterium.