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Maturation of the translation inhibitor microcin C

Anastasia Metlitskaya1, Teymur Kazakov, Gaston H Vondenhoff

  • 1Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.

Journal of Bacteriology
|January 27, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Microcin C (McC) is a bacterial growth inhibitor. Its maturation involves specific gene products (mccD and mccE) that attach a 3-aminopropyl group, enhancing its potency against aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Microcin C (McC) is a heptapeptide antibiotic with a unique N-acyl phosphamidate bond linking a modified AMP residue.
  • McC inhibits the growth of enteric bacteria by targeting aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify maturation intermediates of Microcin C.
  • To elucidate the roles of specific genes in the biosynthesis and maturation of Microcin C.
  • To understand how post-translational modifications affect Microcin C's inhibitory activity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of maturation intermediates in mutant strains lacking individual mcc biosynthesis genes.
  • Biochemical characterization of Microcin C and its precursors.

Main Results:

  • The products of the mccD and mccE genes are essential for the attachment of a 3-aminopropyl group to the phosphate of Microcin C.
  • This 3-aminopropyl modification significantly increases the potency of Microcin C's inhibition of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase.

Conclusions:

  • The maturation pathway of Microcin C involves specific enzymatic steps, including the addition of a 3-aminopropyl group.
  • This modification is crucial for the enhanced biological activity of Microcin C against its target enzyme.

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