PelX is a UDP-N-acetylglucosamine C4-epimerase involved in Pel polysaccharide-dependent biofilm formation.

ABSTRACT: Pel is a GalNAc-rich bacterial polysaccharide that contributes to the structure and function of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. The pelABCDEFG operon is highly conserved among diverse bacterial species, and Pel may therefore be a widespread biofilm determinant. Previous annotation of pel gene clusters has helped us identify an additional gene, pelX, that is present adjacent to pelABCDEFG in >100 different bacterial species. The pelX gene is predicted to encode a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily, but its potential role in Pel-dependent biofilm formation is unknown. Herein, we have used Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 as a model to elucidate PelX function as Pseudomonas aeruginosa lacks a pelX homol

SUBMITTER: Marmont LS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7443510 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature