Characterization of the Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Pathway in Myxococcus xanthus.

ABSTRACT: Myxococcus xanthus arranges into two morphologically distinct biofilms depending on its nutritional status, i.e., coordinately spreading colonies in the presence of nutrients and spore-filled fruiting bodies in the absence of nutrients. A secreted polysaccharide, referred to as exopolysaccharide (EPS), is a structural component of both biofilms and is also important for type IV pilus-dependent motility and fruiting body formation. Here, we characterize the biosynthetic machinery responsible for EPS biosynthesis using bioinformatics, genetics, heterologous expression, and biochemical experiments. We show that this machinery constitutes a Wzx/Wzy-dependent pathway dedicated to EPS biosynthesis. Our data support that EpsZ (MXAN_7415) is the polyisoprenyl-phosphate hexose-1-phosphate tr

SUBMITTER: Perez-Burgos M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7484181 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature