The Microbiologist’s Guide to Membrane Potential Dynamics
Open accessAbstract
All cellular membranes have the functionality of generating and maintaining the gradients of electrical and electrochemical potentials. Such potentials were generally thought to be an essential but homeostatic contributor to complex bacterial behaviors. Recent studies have revised this view, and we now know that bacterial membrane potential is dynamic and plays signaling roles in cell-cell interaction, adaptation to antibiotics, and sensation of cellular conditions and environments. These discoveries argue that bacterial membrane potential dynamics deserve more attention. Here, we review the recent studies revealing the signaling roles of bacterial membrane potential dynamics. We also introduce basic biophysical theories of the membrane potential to the microbiology community and discuss the needs to revise these theories for applications in bacterial electrophysiology.
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K+ maintains osmotic balance and is an important contributor to the membrane potential.
“This dominant cation maintains osmotic balance7,46,47 and is an important contributor to the membrane potential.48”
From Metals in Motion: Understanding Labile Metal Pools in Bacteria (2025) · cites this paper as [48]
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Metals in Motion: Understanding Labile Metal Pools in Bacteria
Helmann, J. D. (2025) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00726 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
- Authors
- Benarroch, J. M., & Asally, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Asally, Munehiro
- ORCID
- Asally, Munehiro
- Venue
- Trends in Microbiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-04
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 304-314
- ISSN
- 0966-842X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2998968401
- Cited by
- 333
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 54 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 19
- FWCI
- 5.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Trends in Microbiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Keywords
- bacterial membrane potential, membrane potential dynamics, electrochemical gradient, bacterial signaling, intercellular communication, antibiotic resistance, bacterial adaptation
- MeSH terms
- Anti-Bacterial Agents, Bacteria, Biophysics, Electrophysiology, Membrane Potentials, Biofilms, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Eukaryota
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