Mechanisms of Incorporation for D-Amino Acid Probes That Target Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis (original) (raw)
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F1000 - Post-publication peer review of the biomedical literature, 2000
In all known organisms, amino acids are predominantly thought to be synthesized and used as their L-enantiomers. Here, we found that bacteria produce diverse D-amino acids as well, which accumulate at millimolar concentrations in supernatants of stationary phase cultures. In Vibrio cholerae, a dedicated racemase produced D-Met and D-Leu, while Bacillus subtilis generated D-Tyr and D-Phe. These unusual D-amino acids appear to modulate synthesis of peptidoglycan, a strong and elastic polymer that serves as the stress-bearing component of the bacterial cell wall. D-amino acids influenced peptidoglycan composition, amount, and strength, both via their incorporation into the polymer and by regulating enzymes that synthesize and modify it. Thus, synthesis of D-amino acids may be a common strategy for bacteria to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
of fl uorescent D-amino acids for in situ labeling of bacterial cell walls †
2017
Department of Molecular and Cellul Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. E-mail: mvan Department of Chemistry, Indiana Universi Department of Bioengineering, Stanford Un Molecular and Cellular Biology (FAS) Cente Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA Department of Microbiology and Immunolog Stanford, CA 94305, USA Department of Biology, Indiana University ybrun@indiana.edu † Electronic supplementary informa 10.1039/c7sc01800b ‡ These authors contributed equally. § Current address: Department of Genetic 021157, USA. { Current address: School of Chemistry Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. k Current address: Department of Chem 47243, USA. Cite this: Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 6313
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The EMBO Journal, 2011
Production of non-canonical D-amino acids (NCDAAs) in stationary phase promotes remodelling of peptidoglycan (PG), the polymer that comprises the bacterial cell wall. Impairment of NCDAAs production leads to excessive accumulation of PG and hypersensitivity to osmotic shock; however, the mechanistic bases for these phenotypes were not previously determined. Here, we show that incorporation of NCDAAs into PG is a critical means by which NCDAAs control PG abundance and strength. We identified and reconstituted in vitro two (of at least three) distinct processes that mediate NCDAA incorporation. Diverse bacterial phyla incorporate NCDAAs into their cell walls, either through periplasmic editing of the mature PG or via incorporation into PG precursor subunits in the cytosol. Production of NCDAAs in Vibrio cholerae requires the stress response sigma factor RpoS, suggesting that NCDAAs may aid bacteria in responding to varied environmental challenges. The widespread capacity of diverse bacteria, including non-producers, to incorporate NCDAAs suggests that these amino acids may serve as both autocrine-and paracrine-like regulators of chemical and physical properties of the cell wall in microbial communities.