Enzymatic activities and functional interdependencies of Bacillus subtilis lipoteichoic acid synthesis enzymes.

ABSTRACT: Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is an important cell wall polymer in Gram-positive bacteria. The enzyme responsible for polyglycerolphosphate LTA synthesis is LtaS, first described in Staphylococcus aureus. Four LtaS orthologues, LtaS(BS) , YfnI, YqgS and YvgJ, are present in Bacillus subtilis. Using an in vitro enzyme assay, we determined that all four proteins are Mn(2+) -dependent metal enzymes that use phosphatidylglycerol as a substrate. We show that LtaS(BS) , YfnI and YqgS can produce polymers, suggesting that these three proteins are bona-fide LTA synthases while YvgJ functions as an LTA primase, as indicated by the accumulation of a GroP-Glc(2) -DAG glycolipid. Western blot analysis of LTA produced by ltaS(BS) , yfnI, yqgS and yvgJ single, triple and the quadruple mutant, showed that LTA

SUBMITTER: Wormann ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3089822 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature