Periplasmic space
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| cell |
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| Periplasmic flagellum |
| Gene Ontology |
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| QuickGO |
The periplasmic space is a cell compartment between the cytoplasmic membrane and the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria .
It surrounds the entire cell and can account for up to 40% of the total cell volume. The matrix that fills the space is called the periplasm . The periplasm differs significantly from the cytoplasm . It has a gel-like consistency and contains a high concentration of enzymes as well as binding and transport proteins that are involved in various biochemical processes (for example in nutrient uptake, cell wall synthesis, secretion, movement, degradation of toxic substances). The processes in the periplasm are therefore also responsible for the increased antibiotic resistance of some bacteria.
The periplasmic space also contains the cell wall , which in turn is formed by a network of murein floating in the periplasm .
Recently there have been indications of the existence of a periplasmic space in Gram-positive bacteria, which, however, do not have an outer membrane. Here the periplasm is located between the cell membrane and the multilayered cell wall.
Individual evidence
- ↑ AP Bhavsar & ED Brown (2006): Cell wall assembly in Bacillus subtilis: how spirals and spaces challenge paradigms. In: Mol. Microbiol. Vol. 60, pp. 1077-1090, PMID 16689786 .