Bimodular peptide synthetase SidE produces fumarylalanine in the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Nov;79(21):6670-6. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02642-13. Epub 2013 Aug 23.

Abstract

The filamentous mold Aspergillus fumigatus causes invasive aspergillosis, a potentially life-threatening infectious disease, in humans. The sidE gene encodes a bimodular peptide synthetase and was shown previously to be strongly upregulated during initiation of murine lung infection. In this study, we characterized the two adenylation domains of SidE with the ATP-[(32)P]pyrophosphate exchange assay in vitro, which identified fumarate and l-alanine, respectively, as the preferred substrates. Using full-length holo-SidE, fumarylalanine (FA) formation was observed in vitro. Furthermore, FA was identified in A. fumigatus culture supernatants under inducing conditions, unless sidE was genetically inactivated. As FA is structurally related to established pharmaceutical products exerting immunomodulatory activity, this work may contribute to our understanding of the virulence of A. fumigatus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alanine / biosynthesis*
  • Alanine / metabolism
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / enzymology*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / pathogenicity*
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Escherichia coli
  • Fumarates / metabolism*
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Synthases / genetics
  • Peptide Synthases / metabolism*
  • Phylogeny*
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Fumarates
  • Peptide Synthases
  • Alanine