Streptococcus pneumoniae synchronizes the states of cell wall peptidoglycan acetylation and genome methylation by programmed DNA inversions.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan (PG) consists of alternating β-(1,4) linked N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG). The C-6 hydroxyl group of NAM is acetylated by transmembrane O-acetyltransferases post PG biosynthesis in many pathogenic bacteria. This modification is important for bacterial resistance to lysozyme. It is also known that the extent of NAM O-acetylation varies greatly, depending on genetic background and growth phase. However, it remains unclear if the fluctuation of NAM O-acetylation has any function. In this study, we show that NAM O-acetylation functions as a potential extracellular signal of cellular metabolism for epigenetic response to nutrient conditions in human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). The O-acetylation was found to contr

SUBMITTER: Li XY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12324116 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature