Borrelial phosphomannose isomerase as a cell surface localized protein that retains enzymatic activity and promotes host-pathogen interaction.

ABSTRACT: All organisms produce an intracellular Zn²⁺-dependent enzyme, phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) or mannose-6 phosphate isomerase, that catalyzes the reversible conversion of mannose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate during sugar metabolism and polysaccharide biosynthesis. Unexpectedly, we discovered an additional PMI function in Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen of Lyme disease, where the enzyme is localized on the cell surface and binds to collagen IV-a host extracellular matrix component predominantly found in the skin. The AlphaFold 3-based structural model of B. burgdorferi PMI (BbPMI) retains the active site with tetrahedrally-coordinated Zn²⁺ seen in other PMIs of known structure, residing in an elongated crevice. Ligand docking shows that the cre

SUBMITTER: Dutta S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11898738 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature