Vesiculation in Gut Bacteroidota

Bacteroidota are key members of the human gut microbiota that can modulate the enteric environment by producing vesicles. Bacterial vesiculation is a poorly understood process. Previously, we developed a high-throughput screen to identify genes required for vesiculation in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt). Our screen identified a family of Dual membrane-spanning anti-sigma factors (Dma) that play a role in controlling vesiculation. We show that the Dma family are proteins shown to span both the inner and outer membrane of a gram-negative bacterium. This work provides insights regarding the regulation of vesiculation among Bacteroidota.