The Staphylococcus aureus Methicillin Resistance Factor FmtA Is a d-Amino Esterase That Acts on Teichoic Acids.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

The methicillin resistance factor encoded by fmtA is a core member of the Staphylococcus aureus cell wall stimulon, but its function has remained elusive for the past two decades. First identified as a factor that affects methicillin resistance in S. aureus strains, FmtA was later shown to interact with teichoic acids and to localize to the cell division septum. We have made a breakthrough in understanding FmtA function. We show that FmtA hydrolyzes the ester bond between d-Ala and the backbone of teichoic acids, which are polyglycerol-phosphate or polyribitol-phosphate polymers found in the S. aureus cell envelope. FmtA contains two conserved motifs found in serine active-site penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and β-lactamases. The conserved SXXK motif was found to be

SUBMITTER: Rahman MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4752606 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature