Identification and characterization of the genes involved in glycosylation pathways of mycobacterial glycopeptidolipid biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT: Glycopeptidolipids (GPLs) are major components present on the outer layers of the cell walls of several nontuberculous mycobacteria. GPLs are antigenic molecules and have variant oligosaccharides in mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium avium. In this study, we identified four genes (gtf1, gtf2, gtf3, and gtf4) in the genome of Mycobacterium smegmatis. These genes were independently inactivated by homologous recombination in M. smegmatis, and the structures of GPLs from each gene disruptant were analyzed. Thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the mutants Deltagtf1 and Deltagtf2 accumulated the fatty acyl-tetrapeptide core having O-methyl-rhamnose and 6-deoxy-talos

SUBMITTER: Miyamoto Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1317587 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature