The Escherichia coli mraY gene encoding UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide: undecaprenyl-phosphate phospho-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide transferase

J Bacteriol. 1991 Feb;173(3):1021-6. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.3.1021-1026.1991.

Abstract

Amplification of the mraY gene, previously called open reading frame Y (ORF-Y, 1,080 bp), at 2 min in the chromosome map of Escherichia coli enhanced the activity of UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide: undecaprenyl-phosphate phospho-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide transferase (EC 2.7.8.13). This enzyme catalyzes the formation of undecaprenyl-pyrophosphoryl-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide from UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide and undecaprenyl-phosphate, the first step in the lipid cycle reactions in biosynthesis of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycans. The enhanced enzyme activity was sensitive to tunicamycin, and the amino tunicamycin-sensitive N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Very probably mraY is the structural gene for the above enzyme.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphotransferases / chemistry
  • Phosphotransferases / genetics*
  • Phosphotransferases / metabolism
  • Plasmids
  • Restriction Mapping
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups)*
  • Tunicamycin / pharmacology
  • Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylmuramic Acid / analogs & derivatives
  • Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylmuramic Acid / metabolism
  • Uridine Monophosphate / metabolism

Substances

  • Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylmuramic Acid
  • Tunicamycin
  • UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid pentapeptide
  • Uridine Monophosphate
  • Phosphotransferases
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups)
  • phospho-N-acetylmuramoyl pentapeptide transferase
  • UDPacetylglucosamine-dolichyl-phosphate acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase