Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus requires glycosylated wall teichoic acids.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan (PG) is densely functionalized with anionic polymers called wall teichoic acids (WTAs). These polymers contain three tailoring modifications: d-alanylation, α-O-GlcNAcylation, and β-O-GlcNAcylation. Here we describe the discovery and biochemical characterization of a unique glycosyltransferase, TarS, that attaches β-O-GlcNAc (β-O-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) residues to S. aureus WTAs. We report that methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is sensitized to β-lactams upon tarS deletion. Unlike strains completely lacking WTAs, which are also sensitive to β-lactams, ΔtarS strains have no growth or cell division defects. Because neither α-O-GlcNAc nor β-O-Glucose modifications can confer resistance, the resistance phenotype requires a highly specific chemical modi

SUBMITTER: Brown S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3503181 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature