Protein aggregation occurs as a consequence of perturbations in protein homeostasis that can be triggered by environmental and cellular stresses. The accumulation of protein aggregates has been associated with aging and other pathologies in eukaryotes, and in bacteria with changes in growth rate, stress resistance and virulence. Numerous past studies, mostly performed in Escherichia coli, have led to a detailed understanding of the functions of the bacterial protein quality control machinery in preventing and reversing protein aggregation. However, more recent research points toward unexpected diversity in how phylogenetically different bacteria utilize components of this machinery to cope with protein aggregation. Furthermore, how persistent protein aggregates localize and are passed on to progeny during cell division and how their presence impacts reproduction and the fitness of bacterial populations remains a controversial field of research. Finally, although protein aggregation is generally seen as a symptom of stress, recent work suggests that aggregation of specific proteins under certain conditions can regulate gene expression and cellular resource allocation. This review discusses recent advances in understanding the consequences of protein aggregation and how this process is dealt with in bacteria, with focus on highlighting the differences and similarities observed between phylogenetically different groups of bacteria.

中文翻译：

---

细菌中的蛋白质聚集。

蛋白质聚集是环境和细胞应激引发的蛋白质稳态扰动的结果。蛋白质聚集体的积累与真核生物的衰老和其他病理有关，而细菌的生长速度、应激抵抗力和毒力的变化也与蛋白质聚集体的积累有关。过去的许多研究（主要是在大肠杆菌中进行）使人们详细了解了细菌蛋白质质量控​​制机制在预防和逆转蛋白质聚集方面的功能。然而，最近的研究指出，系统发育上不同的细菌如何利用这种机制的组成部分来应对蛋白质聚集方面存在意想不到的多样性。此外，持久性蛋白质聚集体如何在细胞分裂过程中定位并传递给后代，以及它们的存在如何影响细菌种群的繁殖和适应性仍然是一个有争议的研究领域。最后，尽管蛋白质聚集通常被视为压力的症状，但最近的研究表明，特定条件下特定蛋白质的聚集可以调节基因表达和细胞资源分配。这篇综述讨论了理解蛋白质聚集的后果以及细菌如何处理这一过程的最新进展，重点强调了在系统发育上不同的细菌群体之间观察到的差异和相似之处。