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Coordinated peptidoglycan synthases and hydrolases stabilize the bacterial cell wall
Huan Zhang1, Srutha Venkatesan1, Emily Ng1
1Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Nature Communications
|September 2, 2023
Summary
Moenomycin
Area of Science:
- Bacterial cell wall synthesis and dynamics.
- Microbial morphology and stress response.
Background:
- Peptidoglycan (PG) is crucial for bacterial cell shape and osmotic protection.
- Coordinated action of PG synthases and hydrolases is essential for PG growth, but mechanisms are unclear.
- Moenomycin inhibits Class-A penicillin-binding proteins (aPBPs), causing shape collapse in Myxococcus xanthus, despite their non-essential role in morphology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the coordination mechanisms between PG synthases and hydrolases.
- To understand how moenomycin affects bacterial morphology through PG synthesis inhibition.
- To investigate the interplay between PBP1a2, DacB, and PG dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the effect of moenomycin on Myxococcus xanthus morphology.
- Analyzed the interaction between PBP1a2 (an aPBP), DacB (a PG hydrolase), and peptidoglycan.
- Studied the impact of DacB on aPBP distribution and dynamics.
Main Results:
- Inhibition of PBP1a2 by moenomycin accelerates cell pole degradation by DacB.
- Moenomycin enhances DacB binding to PG, reducing DacB mobility.
- DacB influences the distribution and dynamics of aPBPs.
Conclusions:
- Disrupting coordination between PG synthases and hydrolases is more detrimental than inhibiting individual enzymes.
- Moenomycin's action involves altering the balance between PG synthesis and degradation.
- The interaction between PG synthases and hydrolases is a critical regulatory mechanism in bacterial cell wall maintenance.
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