Identification of a terminal rhamnopyranosyltransferase (RptA) involved in Corynebacterium glutamicum cell wall biosynthesis

J Bacteriol. 2009 Aug;191(15):4879-87. doi: 10.1128/JB.00296-09. Epub 2009 May 29.

Abstract

A bioinformatics approach identified a putative integral membrane protein, NCgl0543, in Corynebacterium glutamicum, with 13 predicted transmembrane domains and a glycosyltransferase motif (RXXDE), features that are common to the glycosyltransferase C superfamily of glycosyltransferases. The deletion of C. glutamicum NCgl0543 resulted in a viable mutant. Further glycosyl linkage analyses of the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex revealed a reduction of terminal rhamnopyranosyl-linked residues and, as a result, a corresponding loss of branched 2,5-linked arabinofuranosyl residues, which was fully restored upon the complementation of the deletion mutant by NCgl0543. As a result, we have now termed this previously uncharacterized open reading frame, rhamnopyranosyltransferase A (rptA). Furthermore, an analysis of base-stable extractable lipids from C. glutamicum revealed the presence of decaprenyl-monophosphorylrhamnose, a putative substrate for the cognate cell wall transferase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Wall / chemistry
  • Cell Wall / enzymology*
  • Cell Wall / genetics
  • Cell Wall / metabolism*
  • Chromatography, Gas
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / chemistry
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / enzymology*
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / genetics
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / metabolism*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Genome, Bacterial / genetics
  • Genome, Bacterial / physiology
  • Glycolipids / chemistry
  • Glycolipids / metabolism
  • Glycosyltransferases / genetics
  • Glycosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Glycolipids
  • Glycosyltransferases