Long-chain N-acyl amino acid synthases are linked to the putative PEP-CTERM/exosortase protein-sorting system in Gram-negative bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Clones that encode the biosynthesis of long-chain N-acyl amino acids are frequently recovered from activity-based screens of soil metagenomic libraries. Members of a diverse set of enzymes referred to as N-acyl amino acid synthases are responsible for the production of all metagenome-derived N-acyl amino acids characterized to date. Based on the frequency at which N-acyl amino acid synthase genes have been identified from metagenomic samples, related genes are expected to be common throughout the global bacterial metagenome. Homologs of metagenome-derived N-acyl amino acid synthase genes are scarce, however, within the sequenced genomes of cultured bacterial species. Toward the goal of understanding the role(s) played by N-acyl amino acids in environmental bacteria, we looked for conserved

SUBMITTER: Craig JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3187218 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature