SpbR controls lipoteichoic acid length by directly inhibiting signal peptidase SpsB in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes life-threatening infections. Its cell envelope contains anionic polymers called teichoic acids that are required for cell viability. Teichoic acids come in two forms and are made by different biosynthetic pathways. One form, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), is anchored in the cell membrane; the other form, wall teichoic acid (WTA), is covalently linked to the peptidoglycan cell wall. Although the LTA and WTA biosynthetic pathways have been characterized, regulation of teichoic acid production is not well understood. Here, we identified SpbR (SAOUHSC_00965), a polytopic membrane protein similar to a eukaryotic CAAX protease, as a factor that controls LTA levels in S. aureus cells. We show that loss of SpbR results in

SUBMITTER: Park Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12260438 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature