Biosynthesis of undecaprenyl phosphate-galactosamine and undecaprenyl phosphate-glucose in Francisella novicida

Biochemistry. 2009 Feb 17;48(6):1173-82. doi: 10.1021/bi802212t.

Abstract

Lipid A of Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida contains a galactosamine (GalN) residue linked to its 1-phosphate group. As shown in the preceding paper, this GalN unit is transferred to lipid A from the precursor undecaprenyl phosphate-beta-D-GalN. A small portion of the free lipid A of Francisella novicida is further modified with a glucose residue at position-6'. We now demonstrate that the two F. novicida homologues of Escherichia coli ArnC, designated FlmF1 and FlmF2, are essential for lipid A modification with glucose and GalN, respectively. Recombinant FlmF1 expressed in E. coli selectively condenses undecaprenyl phosphate and UDP-glucose in vitro to form undecaprenyl phosphate-glucose. Recombinant FlmF2 selectively catalyzes the condensation of undecaprenyl phosphate and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine to generate undecaprenyl phosphate-N-acetylgalactosamine. On the basis of an analysis of the lipid A composition of flmF1 and flmF2 mutants of F. novicida, we conclude that FlmF1 generates the donor substrate for the modification of F. novicida free lipid A with glucose, whereas FlmF2 generates the immediate precursor of the GalN donor substrate, undecaprenyl phosphate-beta-D-GalN. A novel deacetylase, present in membranes of F. novicida, removes the acetyl group from undecaprenyl phosphate-N-acetylgalactosamine to yield undecaprenyl phosphate-beta-D-GalN. This deacetylase may have an analogous function to the deformylase that generates undecaprenyl phosphate-4-amino-4-deoxy-alpha-l-arabinose from undecaprenyl phosphate-4-deoxy-4-formylamino-alpha-l-arabinose in polymyxin-resistant strains of E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acetylgalactosamine / biosynthesis*
  • Acetylgalactosamine / chemistry
  • Acetyltransferases / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / enzymology
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Francisella / enzymology
  • Francisella / genetics
  • Francisella / metabolism*
  • Galactosamine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Galactosamine / biosynthesis
  • Galactosamine / chemistry
  • Glucosides / biosynthesis*
  • Glucosides / chemistry
  • Lipid A / chemistry
  • Lipid A / isolation & purification
  • Lipid A / metabolism
  • Multigene Family
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / biosynthesis*
  • Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Glucosides
  • Lipid A
  • Polyisoprenyl Phosphates
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • undecaprenyl phosphate-galactosamine
  • undecaprenyl phosphate-glucose
  • undecaprenyl phosphate
  • Galactosamine
  • Acetyltransferases
  • Acetylgalactosamine