Distinct pathways for modification of the bacterial cell wall by non-canonical D-amino acids.

ABSTRACT: Production of non-canonical D-amino acids (NCDAAs) in stationary phase promotes remodelling of peptidoglycan (PG), the polymer that comprises the bacterial cell wall. Impairment of NCDAAs production leads to excessive accumulation of PG and hypersensitivity to osmotic shock; however, the mechanistic bases for these phenotypes were not previously determined. Here, we show that incorporation of NCDAAs into PG is a critical means by which NCDAAs control PG abundance and strength. We identified and reconstituted in vitro two (of at least three) distinct processes that mediate NCDAA incorporation. Diverse bacterial phyla incorporate NCDAAs into their cell walls, either through periplasmic editing of the mature PG or via incorporation into PG precursor subunits in the cytosol. Production of NCDA

SUBMITTER: Cava F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3160665 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature