Subcellular distribution of mannophosphoinositides in Mycobacterium smegmatis during growth

The cell envelope glycoconjugates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the second most common cause of death due to a single infectious agent. The cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of the disease in humans, is a source of unique glycoconjugates and the most distinctive feature of the biology of this organism. It is the basis of much of Mtb pathogenesis and one of the major causes of its intrinsic resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. At the same time, the unique structures of Mtb cell envelope glycoconjugates, their antigenicity and essentiality for mycobacterial growth provide opportunities for drug, vaccine, diagnostic and biomarker development, as clearly illustrated by recent advances in all of these translational aspects. This review focuses on our current understanding of the structure and biogenesis of Mtb glycoconjugates with particular emphasis on one of the most intriguing and least understood aspect of the physiology of mycobacteria: the translocation of these complex macromolecules across the different layers of the cell envelope. It further reviews the rather impressive progress made in the last 10 years in the discovery and development of novel inhibitors targeting their biogenesis.

Molecular basis of phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannoside biosynthesis and regulation in mycobacteria

Phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannosides (PIMs) are unique glycolipids found in abundant quantities in the inner and outer membranes of the cell envelope of all Mycobacterium species. They are based on a phosphatidyl-myo-inositol lipid anchor carrying one to six mannose residues and up to four acyl chains. PIMs are considered not only essential structural components of the cell envelope but also the structural basis of the lipoglycans (lipomannan and lipoarabinomannan), all important molecules implicated in host-pathogen interactions in the course of tuberculosis and leprosy. Although the chemical structure of PIMs is now well established, knowledge of the enzymes and sequential events leading to their biosynthesis and regulation is still incomplete. Recent advances in the identification of key proteins involved in PIM biogenesis and the determination of the three-dimensional structures of the essential phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannosyltransferase PimA and the lipoprotein LpqW have led to important insights into the molecular basis of this pathway.