Tolerance mechanisms in polysaccharide biosynthesis: Implications for undecaprenol phosphate recycling in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial polysaccharide synthesis is catalysed on the universal lipid carrier, undecaprenol phosphate (UndP). The cellular UndP pool is shared by different polysaccharide synthesis pathways including peptidoglycan biogenesis. Disruptions in cytosolic polysaccharide synthesis steps are detrimental to bacterial survival due to effects on UndP recycling. In contrast, bacteria can survive disruptions in the periplasmic steps, suggesting a tolerance mechanism to mitigate UndP sequestration. Here we investigated tolerance mechanisms to disruptions of polymerases that are involved in UndP-releasing steps in two related polysaccharide synthesis pathways: that for enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) and that for O antigen (OAg), in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. Our study reveals that po

SUBMITTER: Qin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11813082 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature