Arabinan-deficient mutants of Corynebacterium glutamicum and the consequent flux in decaprenylmonophosphoryl-D-arabinose metabolism

Glycobiology. 2006 Nov;16(11):1073-81. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwl030. Epub 2006 Aug 4.

Abstract

The arabinogalactan (AG) of Corynebacterianeae is a critical macromolecule that tethers mycolic acids to peptidoglycan, thus forming a highly impermeable cell wall matrix termed the mycolyl-arabinogalactan peptidoglycan complex (mAGP). The front line anti-tuberculosis drug, ethambutol (Emb), targets the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium glutamicum arabinofuranosyltransferase Mt-EmbA, Mt-EmbB and Cg-Emb enzymes, respectively, which are responsible for the biosynthesis of the arabinan domain of AG. The substrate utilized by these important glycosyltransferases, decaprenylmonophosphoryl-D-arabinose (DPA), is synthesized via a decaprenylphosphoryl-5-phosphoribose (DPPR) synthase (UbiA), which catalyzes the transfer of 5-phospho-ribofuranose-pyrophosphate (pRpp) to decaprenol phosphate to form DPPR. Glycosyl compositional analysis of cell walls extracted from a C. glutamicum::ubiA mutant revealed a galactan core consisting of alternating beta(1-->5)-Galf and beta(1-->6)-Galf residues, completely devoid of arabinan and a concomitant loss of cell-wall-bound mycolic acids. In addition, in vitro assays demonstrated a complete loss of arabinofuranosyltransferase activity and DPA biosynthesis in the C. glutamicum::ubiA mutant when supplemented with p[14C]Rpp, the precursor of DPA. Interestingly, in vitro arabinofuranosyltransferase activity was restored in the C. glutamicum::ubiA mutant when supplemented with exogenous DP[14C]A substrate, and C. glutamicum strains deficient in ubiA, emb, and aftA all exhibited different levels of DPA biosynthesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabinose / analogs & derivatives*
  • Arabinose / metabolism
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / enzymology
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / metabolism*
  • Galactans / biosynthesis
  • Galactans / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Peptidoglycan / metabolism
  • Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / genetics
  • Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / metabolism*
  • Polysaccharides / biosynthesis
  • Polysaccharides / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Terpenes / metabolism*

Substances

  • Galactans
  • Peptidoglycan
  • Polysaccharides
  • Terpenes
  • arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex
  • decaprenyl-P-arabinose
  • araban
  • Arabinose
  • Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor)
  • decaprenylphosphoryl-5-phosphoribose synthase
  • arabinogalactan