ABSTRACT: MurM and MurN are tRNA-dependent ligases that catalyze the addition of the first (L-Ala/L-Ser) and second (L-Ala) amino acid onto lipid II substrates in the biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of Streptococcus pneumoniae. We have previously characterized the first ligase, MurM (Lloyd, A. J., Gilbey, A. M., Blewett, A. M., De Pascale, G., El Zoeiby, A., Levesque, R. C., Catherwood, A. C., Tomasz, A., Bugg, T. D., Roper, D. I., and Dowson, C. G. (2008) J. Biol. Chem. 283, 6402-6417). In order to characterize the second ligase MurN, we have developed a chemoenzymatic route to prepare the lipid II-Ala and lipid II-Ser substrates. Recombinant MurN enzymes from penicillin-resistant (159) and -sensitive (Pn16) S. pneumoniae were expressed and purified as MBP fusion proteins and reconstituted
