Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the bacterial polysaccharide repeating unit undecaprenyl pyrophosphate and its analogs.

ABSTRACT: Polysaccharides are essential and immunologically relevant components of bacterial cell walls. These biomolecules can be found covalently attached to lipids (e.g., O-polysaccharide (PS) contains undecaprenyl and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contains lipid A) or noncovalently associated with cell wells (e.g., capsular PS (CPS)). Although extensive genetic studies have indicated that the Wzy-dependent biosynthetic pathway is primarily responsible for producing such polysaccharides, in vitro biochemical studies are needed to determine, for example, which gene product is responsible for catalyzing each step in the pathway, and to reveal molecular details about the Wzx translocase, Wzy polymerase and O-PS chain-length determinant. Many of these biochemical studies require access to a structurally w

SUBMITTER: Li L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5953200 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature