The DigH glycosyl hydrolase is conditionally required for daughter cell separation in <i>Escherichia coli</i>.

ABSTRACT: The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall is a mesh-like layer that shapes bacteria and protects against osmotically induced lysis. PG is composed of glycan strands and peptide chains that link together to form a continuous layer that surrounds the cell. PG hydrolases are required for cell wall maturation, and many are employed during cell separation. During cell division, amidases remove peptides from the glycan backbone, and the resulting denuded glycans (dnGs) are degraded by lytic transglycosylases (LTs). The gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli encodes eight functional LTs (mltA-G and slt) and one putative LT (rlpA), and a mutant strain lacking six (ΔmltACDEΔsltΔrlpA), which we refer to as ΔLT cells, accumulates dnGs and produces short chain

SUBMITTER: Bryant JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12288456 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature