Chemically Induced Cell Wall Stapling in Bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Transpeptidation reinforces the structure of cell-wall peptidoglycan, an extracellular heteropolymer that protects bacteria from osmotic lysis. The clinical success of transpeptidase-inhibiting β-lactam antibiotics illustrates the essentiality of these cross-linkages for cell-wall integrity, but the presence of multiple, seemingly redundant transpeptidases in many species makes it challenging to determine cross-link function. Here, we present a technique to link peptide strands by chemical rather than enzymatic reaction. We employ biocompatible click chemistry to induce triazole formation between azido- and alkynyl-d-alanine residues that are metabolically installed in the peptidoglycan of Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. Synthetic triazole cross-links can be visualized using azido

SUBMITTER: Rivera SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7897265 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature