The PECACE domain: a new family of enzymes with potential peptidoglycan cleavage activity in Gram-positive bacteria.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The metabolism of bacterial peptidoglycan is a dynamic process, synthases and cleavage enzymes are functionally coordinated. Lytic Transglycosylase enzymes (LT) are part of multienzyme complexes which regulate bacterial division and elongation. LTs are also involved in peptidoglycan turnover and in macromolecular transport systems. Despite their central importance, no LTs have been identified in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. We report the identification of the first putative LT enzyme in S. pneumoniae and discuss its role in pneumococcal peptidoglycan metabolism.

Results

Homology searches of the pneumococcal genome allowed the identification of a new domain putatively involved in peptidoglycan cleavage (PECACE, PEptidoglycan CArbohydrate Cleavage En

SUBMITTER: Pagliero E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC550655 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature