Genetic organization of chromosomal S-layer glycan biosynthesis loci of Bacillaceae

Bioinformatics analysis of diversity in bacterial glycan chain-termination chemistry and organization of carbohydrate-binding modules linked to ABC transporters

The structures of bacterial cell surface glycans are remarkably diverse. In spite of this diversity, the general strategies used for their assembly are limited. In one of the major processes, found in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, the glycan is polymerized in the cytoplasm on a polyprenol lipid carrier and exported from the cytoplasm by an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. The ABC transporter actively participates in determining the chain length of the glycan substrate, which impacts functional properties of the glycoconjugate products. A subset of these systems employs an additional elaborate glycan capping strategy that dictates the size distribution of the products. The hallmarks of prototypical capped glycan systems are a chain-terminating enzyme possessing a coiled-coil molecular ruler and an ABC transporter possessing a carbohydrate-binding module, which recognizes the glycan cap. To date, detailed investigations are limited to a small number of prototypes, and here, we used our current understanding of these processes for a bioinformatics census of other examples in available genome sequences. This study not only revealed additional instances of existing terminators but also predicted new chemistries as well as systems that diverge from the established prototypes. These analyses enable some new functional hypotheses and offer a roadmap for future research.

Environmental factors influence the Haloferax volcanii S-layer protein structure

S-layers commonly cover archaeal cell envelopes and are composed of proteins that self-assemble into a paracrystalline surface structure. Despite their detection in almost all archaea, there are few reports investigating the structural properties of these proteins, with no reports exploring this topic for halophilic S-layers. The objective of the present study was to investigate the secondary and tertiary organization of the Haloferax volcanii S-layer protein. Such investigations were performed using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The protein secondary structure is centered on β-sheets and is affected by environmental pH, with higher disorder in more alkaline conditions. The pH can also affect the protein's tertiary structure, with higher tryptophan side-chain exposure to the medium under the same conditions. The concentrations of Na, Mg and Ca ions in the environment also affect the protein structures, with small changes in α-helix and β-sheet content, as well as changes in tryptophan side chain exposure. These changes in turn influence the protein's functional properties, with cell envelope preparations revealing striking differences when in different salt conditions. Thermal denaturation assays revealed that the protein is stable. It has been reported that the S-layer protein N-glycosylation process is affected by external factors and the present study indicates for the first time changes in the protein structure.

Archaeal S-Layers: Overview and Current State of the Art

In contrast to bacteria, all archaea possess cell walls lacking peptidoglycan and a number of different cell envelope components have also been described. A paracrystalline protein surface layer, commonly referred to as S-layer, is present in nearly all archaea described to date. S-layers are composed of only one or two proteins and form different lattice structures. In this review, we summarize current understanding of archaeal S-layer proteins, discussing topics such as structure, lattice type distribution among archaeal phyla and glycosylation. The hexagonal lattice type is dominant within the phylum Euryarchaeota, while in the Crenarchaeota this feature is mainly associated with specific orders. S-layers exclusive to the Crenarchaeota have also been described, which are composed of two proteins. Information regarding S-layers in the remaining archaeal phyla is limited, mainly due to organism description through only culture-independent methods. Despite the numerous applied studies using bacterial S-layers, few reports have employed archaea as a study model. As such, archaeal S-layers represent an area for exploration in both basic and applied research.

S-layers: principles and applications

Monomolecular arrays of protein or glycoprotein subunits forming surface layers (S-layers) are one of the most commonly observed prokaryotic cell envelope components. S-layers are generally the most abundantly expressed proteins, have been observed in species of nearly every taxonomical group of walled bacteria, and represent an almost universal feature of archaeal envelopes. The isoporous lattices completely covering the cell surface provide organisms with various selection advantages including functioning as protective coats, molecular sieves and ion traps, as structures involved in surface recognition and cell adhesion, and as antifouling layers. S-layers are also identified to contribute to virulence when present as a structural component of pathogens. In Archaea, most of which possess S-layers as exclusive wall component, they are involved in determining cell shape and cell division. Studies on structure, chemistry, genetics, assembly, function, and evolutionary relationship of S-layers revealed considerable application potential in (nano)biotechnology, biomimetics, biomedicine, and synthetic biology.

Bacterial cell-envelope glycoconjugates

Prokaryotic glycosylation fulfills an important role in maintaining and protecting the structural integrity and function of the bacterial cell wall, as well as serving as a flexible adaption mechanism to evade environmental and host-induced pressure. The scope of bacterial and archaeal protein glycosylation has considerably expanded over the past decade(s), with numerous examples covering the glycosylation of flagella, pili, glycosylated enzymes, as well as surface-layer proteins. This article addresses structure, analysis, function, genetic basis, biosynthesis, and biomedical and biotechnological applications of cell-envelope glycoconjugates, S-layer glycoprotein glycans, and "nonclassical" secondary-cell wall polysaccharides. The latter group of polymers mediates the important attachment and regular orientation of the S-layer to the cell wall. The structures of these glycopolymers reveal an enormous diversity, resembling the structural variability of bacterial lipopolysaccharides and capsular polysaccharides. While most examples are presented for Gram-positive bacteria, the S-layer glycan of the Gram-negative pathogen Tannerella forsythia is also discussed. In addition, archaeal S-layer glycoproteins are briefly summarized.

Description of a Putative Oligosaccharyl:S-Layer Protein Transferase from the Tyrosine O-Glycosylation System of Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051T

Surface (S)-layer proteins are model systems for studying protein glycosylation in bacteria and simultaneously hold promises for the design of novel, glyco-functionalized modules for nanobiotechnology due to their 2D self-assembly capability. Understanding the mechanism governing S-layer glycan biosynthesis in the Gram-positive bacterium Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051^T is necessary for the tailored glyco-functionalization of its S-layer. Here, the putative oligosaccharyl:S-layer protein transferase WsfB from the P. alvei S-layer glycosylation gene locus is characterized. The enzyme is proposed to catalyze the final step of the glycosylation pathway, transferring the elongated S-layer glycan onto distinct tyrosine O-glycosylation sites. Genetic knock-out of WsfB is shown to abolish glycosylation of the S-layer protein SpaA but not that of other glycoproteins present in P. alvei CCM 2051^T, confining its role to the S-layer glycosylation pathway. A transmembrane topology model of the 781-amino acid WsfB protein is inferred from activity measurements of green fluorescent protein and phosphatase A fused to defined truncations of WsfB. This model shows an overall number of 13 membrane spanning helices with the Wzy_C domain characteristic of O-oligosaccharyl:protein transferases (O-OTases) located in a central extra-cytoplasmic loop, which both compares well to the topology of OTases from Gram-negative bacteria. Mutations in the Wzy_C motif resulted in loss of WsfB function evidenced in reconstitution experiments in P. alvei ΔWsfB cells. Attempts to use WsfB for transferring heterologous oligosaccharides to its native S-layer target protein in Escherichia coli CWG702 and Salmonella enterica SL3749, which should provide lipid-linked oligosaccharide substrates mimicking to some extent those of the natural host, were not successful, possibly due to the stringent function of WsfB. Concluding, WsfB has all features of a bacterial O-OTase, making it the most probable candidate for the oligosaccharyl:S-layer protein transferase of P. alvei, and a promising candidate for the first O-OTase reported in Gram-positives.

ABC transporters involved in export of cell surface glycoconjugates

Complex glycoconjugates play critical roles in the biology of microorganisms. Despite the remarkable diversity in glycan structures and the bacteria that produce them, conserved themes are evident in the biosynthesis-export pathways. One of the primary pathways involves representatives of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily. These proteins are responsible for the export of a wide variety of cell surface oligo- and polysaccharides in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Recent investigations of the structure and function of ABC transporters involved in the export of lipopolysaccharide O antigens have revealed two fundamentally different strategies for coupling glycan polymerization to export. These mechanisms are distinguished by the presence (or absence) of characteristic nonreducing terminal modifications on the export substrates, which serve as chain termination and/or export signals, and by the presence (or absence) of a discrete substrate-binding domain in the nucleotide-binding domain polypeptide of the ABC transporter. A bioinformatic survey examining ABC exporters from known oligo- and polysaccharide biosynthesis loci identifies conserved nucleotide-binding domain protein families that correlate well with themes in the structures and assembly of glycans. The familial relationships among the ABC exporters generate hypotheses concerning the biosynthesis of structurally diverse oligo- and polysaccharides, which play important roles in the biology of bacteria with different lifestyles.

The s-layer glycome-adding to the sugar coat of bacteria

The amazing repertoire of glycoconjugates present on bacterial cell surfaces includes lipopolysaccharides, capsular polysaccharides, lipooligosaccharides, exopolysaccharides, and glycoproteins. While the former are constituents of Gram-negative cells, we review here the cell surface S-layer glycoproteins of Gram-positive bacteria. S-layer glycoproteins have the unique feature of self-assembling into 2D lattices providing a display matrix for glycans with periodicity at the nanometer scale. Typically, bacterial S-layer glycans are O-glycosidically linked to serine, threonine, or tyrosine residues, and they rely on a much wider variety of constituents, glycosidic linkage types, and structures than their eukaryotic counterparts. As the S-layer glycome of several bacteria is unravelling, a picture of how S-layer glycoproteins are biosynthesized is evolving. X-ray crystallography experiments allowed first insights into the catalysis mechanism of selected enzymes. In the future, it will be exciting to fully exploit the S-layer glycome for glycoengineering purposes and to link it to the bacterial interactome.

Protein tyrosine O-glycosylation--a rather unexplored prokaryotic glycosylation system

Glycosylation is a frequent and heterogeneous posttranslational protein modification occurring in all domains of life. While protein N-glycosylation at asparagine and O-glycosylation at serine, threonine or hydroxyproline residues have been studied in great detail, only few data are available on O-glycosidic attachment of glycans to the amino acid tyrosine. In this study, we describe the identification and characterization of a bacterial protein tyrosine O-glycosylation system. In the Gram-positive, mesophilic bacterium Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051(T), a polysaccharide consisting of [-->3)-beta-d-Galp-(1[alpha-d-Glcp-(1-->6)] -->4)-beta-d-ManpNAc-(1-->] repeating units is O-glycosidically linked via an adaptor with the structure -[GroA-2-->OPO(2)-->4-beta-d-ManpNAc-(1-->4)] -->3)-alpha-l-Rhap-(1-->3)-alpha-l-Rhap-(1-->3)-alpha-l-Rhap-(1-->3)-beta-d-Galp-(1--> to specific tyrosine residues of the S-layer protein SpaA. A +AH4-24.3-kb S-layer glycosylation (slg) gene cluster encodes the information necessary for the biosynthesis of this glycan chain within 18 open reading frames (ORF). The corresponding translation products are involved in the biosynthesis of nucleotide-activated monosaccharides, assembly and export as well as in the transfer of the completed polysaccharide chain to the S-layer target protein. All ORFs of the cluster, except those encoding the nucleotide sugar biosynthesis enzymes and the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter integral transmembrane proteins, were disrupted by the insertion of the mobile group II intron Ll.LtrB, and S-layer glycoproteins produced in mutant backgrounds were analyzed by mass spectrometry. There is evidence that the glycan chain is synthesized in a process comparable to the ABC-transporter-dependent pathway of the lipopolysaccharide O-polysaccharide biosynthesis. Furthermore, with the protein WsfB, we have identified an O-oligosaccharyl:protein transferase required for the formation of the covalent beta-d-Gal-->Tyr linkage between the glycan chain and the S-layer protein.

Structural and functional studies of QdtC: an N-acetyltransferase required for the biosynthesis of dTDP-3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-glucose

3-Acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-glucose or Quip3NAc is an unusual dideoxy sugar found in the O-antigens of various Gram-negative bacteria and in the S-layer glycoprotein glycans of some Gram-positive bacteria. It is produced in these organisms as a dTDP-linked sugar, with five enzymes ultimately required for its biosynthesis. The focus of this investigation is on the enzyme QdtC, a CoA-dependent N-acetyltransferase that catalyzes the last step in the Quip3NAc biosynthetic pathway. For this analysis, three crystal structures were determined: the wild-type enzyme in the presence of acetyl-CoA and two ternary complexes of the enzyme with CoA and either dTDP-D-Quip3N or dTDP-3-amino-3,6-didexoy-alpha-D-galactose (dTDP-D-Fucp3N). Each subunit of the trimeric enzyme is dominated by a left-handed beta-helix motif with 11 turns. The three active sites are located at the subunit-subunit interfaces, and the two dTDP-sugar ligands employed in this study bind to the protein in nearly identical manners. Those residues responsible for anchoring the hexose moieties of the dTDP-sugars to the protein include Glu 141, Asn 159, and Asp 160 from one subunit and His 134 from another subunit. To probe the roles of various amino acid residues in the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme, 10 site-directed mutant proteins were constructed and their kinetic parameters measured. On the basis of these data, a catalytic mechanism is proposed for QdtC in which the acetylation of the sugar amino group does not require a catalytic base provided by the protein. Rather, the sulfur of CoA functions as the ultimate proton acceptor.

S-layer, surface-accessible, and concanavalin A binding proteins of Methanosarcina acetivorans and Methanosarcina mazei

The outermost cell envelope structure of many archaea and bacteria contains a proteinaceous lattice termed the surface layer or S-layer. It is typically composed of only one or two abundant, often posttranslationally modified proteins that self-assemble to form the highly organized arrays. Surprisingly, over 100 proteins were annotated to be S-layer components in the archaeal species Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A and Methanosarcina mazei Gö1, reflecting limitations of current predictions. An in vivo biotinylation methodology was devised to affinity tag surface-exposed proteins while overcoming unique challenges in working with these fragile organisms. Cells were adapted to growth under N2 fixing conditions, thus, minimizing free amines reactive to the NHS-label, and high pH media compatible with the acylation chemistry was used. A 3-phase separation procedure was employed to isolate intact, labeled cells from lysed-cell derived proteins. Streptavidin affinity enrichment followed by stringent wash conditions removed nonspecifically bound proteins. This methodology revealed S-layer proteins in M. acetivorans C2A and M. mazei Gö1 to be MA0829 and MM1976, respectively. Each was demonstrated to exist as multiple glycosylated forms using SDS-PAGE coupled with glycoprotein-specific staining, and by interaction with the lectin, Concanavalin A. A number of additional surface-exposed proteins and glycoproteins were identified and included all three subunits of the thermosome: the latter suggests that the chaperonin complex is both surface- and cytoplasmically localized. This approach provides an alternative strategy to study surface proteins in the archaea.

Structural analysis of QdtB, an aminotransferase required for the biosynthesis of dTDP-3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-glucose

3-Acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-d-glucose or Quip3NAc is an unusual deoxyamino sugar found in the O-antigens of some Gram-negative bacteria and in the S-layers of Gram-positive bacteria. It is synthesized in these organisms as a dTDP-linked sugar via the action of five enzymes. The focus of this investigation is on QdtB from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum E207-71, a PLP-dependent aminotransferase that catalyzes the penultimate step in the production of dTDP-Quip3NAc. For this analysis, the enzyme was crystallized in the presence of its product, dTDP-Quip3N, and the structure was solved and refined to 2.15 A resolution. QdtB is a dimer, and its overall fold places it into the well-characterized aspartate aminotransferase superfamily. Electron density corresponding to the bound product reveals the presence of a Schiff base between C-4' of the PLP cofactor and the amino nitrogen of the sugar. Those amino acid side chains involved in binding the dTDP-sugar into the active site include Tyr 183, His 309, and Tyr 310 from subunit 1 and Lys 219 from subunit 2. Notably there is a decided lack of interactions between the pyranosyl C-4' hydroxyl of the dTDP-sugar and the protein. In keeping with this observation, we show that QdtB can also turn over dTDP-3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-d-galactose. This investigation represents the first structural analysis of a sugar-modifying aminotransferase with a bound product in its active site that functions at the C-3' rather than the C-4' position of the hexose.

Molecular basis of S-layer glycoprotein glycan biosynthesis in Geobacillus stearothermophilus

The Gram-positive bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a possesses a cell wall containing an oblique surface layer (S-layer) composed of glycoprotein subunits. O-Glycans with the structure [-->2)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-beta-L-Rhap-(1-->2)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->](n) (= 13-18), a2-O-methyl group capping the terminal repeating unit at the nonreducing end and a -->2)-alpha-L-Rhap-[(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rhap](n) (= 1-2)(1-->3)- adaptor are linked via a beta-D-Galp residue to distinct sites of the S-layer protein SgsE. S-layer glycan biosynthesis is encoded by a polycistronic slg (surface layer glycosylation) gene cluster. Four assigned glycosyltransferases named WsaC-WsaF, were investigated by a combined biochemical and NMR approach, starting from synthetic octyl-linked saccharide precursors. We demonstrate that three of the enzymes are rhamnosyltransferases that are responsible for the transfer of L-rhamnose from a dTDP-beta-L-Rha precursor to the nascent S-layer glycan, catalyzing the formation of the alpha1,3- (WsaC and WsaD) and beta1,2-linkages (WsaF) present in the adaptor saccharide and in the repeating units of the mature S-layer glycan, respectively. These enzymes work in concert with a multifunctional methylrhamnosyltransferase (WsaE). The N-terminal portion of WsaE is responsible for the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation reaction of the terminal alpha1,3-linked L-rhamnose residue, and the central and C-terminal portions are involved in the transfer of L-rhamnose from dTDP-beta-L-rhamnose to the adaptor saccharide to form the alpha1,2- and alpha1,3-linkages during S-layer glycan chain elongation, with the methylation and the glycosylation reactions occurring independently. Characterization of these enzymes thus reveals the complete molecular basis for S-layer glycan biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis of dTDP-3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-glucose

Derivatives of 3-amino-3,6-dideoxyhexoses are widespread in Nature. They are part of the repeating units of lipopolysaccharide O-antigens, of the glycan moiety of S-layer (bacterial cell surface layer) glycoproteins and also of many antibiotics. In the present study, we focused on the elucidation of the biosynthesis pathway of dTDP-alpha-D-Quip3NAc (dTDP-3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-glucose) from the Gram-positive, anaerobic, thermophilic organism Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum E207-71, which carries Quip3NAc in its S-layer glycan. The biosynthesis of dTDP-alpha-D-Quip3NAc involves five enzymes, namely a transferase, a dehydratase, an isomerase, a transaminase and a transacetylase, and follows a pathway similar to that of dTDP-alpha-D-Fucp3NAc (dTDP-3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-galactose) biosynthesis in Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus L420-91(T). The ORFs (open reading frames) of interest were cloned, overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified. To elucidate the enzymatic cascade, the different products were purified by HPLC and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The initiating reactions catalysed by the glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase RmlA and the dTDP-D-glucose-4,6-dehydratase RmlB are well established. The subsequent isomerase was shown to be capable of forming a dTDP-3-oxo-6-deoxy-D-glucose intermediate from the RmlB product dTDP-4-oxo-6-deoxy-D-glucose, whereas the isomerase involved in the dTDP-alpha-D-Fucp3NAc pathway synthesizes dTDP-3-oxo-6-deoxy-D-galactose. The subsequent reaction steps of either pathway involve a transaminase and a transacetylase, leading to the specific production of nucleotide-activated 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-glucose and 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-galactose respectively. Sequence comparison of the ORFs responsible for the biosynthesis of dTDP-alpha-D-Quip3NAc revealed homologues in Gram-negative as well as in antibiotic-producing Gram-positive bacteria. There is strong evidence that the elucidated biosynthesis pathway may also be valid for LPS (lipopolysaccharide) O-antigen structures and antibiotic precursors.

S-layer nanoglycobiology of bacteria

Cell surface layers (S-layers) are common structures of the bacterial cell envelope with a lattice-like appearance that are formed by a self-assembly process. Frequently, the constituting S-layer proteins are modified with covalently linked glycan chains facing the extracellular environment. S-layer glycoproteins from organisms of the Bacillaceae family possess long, O-glycosidically linked glycans that are composed of a great variety of sugar constituents. The observed variations already exceed the display found in eukaryotic glycoproteins. Recent investigations of the S-layer protein glycosylation process at the molecular level, which has lagged behind the structural studies due to the lack of suitable molecular tools, indicated that the S-layer glycoprotein glycan biosynthesis pathway utilizes different modules of the well-known biosynthesis routes of lipopolysaccharide O-antigens. The genetic information for S-layer glycan biosynthesis is usually present in S-layer glycosylation (slg) gene clusters acting in concert with housekeeping genes. To account for the nanometer-scale cell surface display feature of bacterial S-layer glycosylation, we have coined the neologism 'nanoglycobiology'. It includes structural and biochemical aspects of S-layer glycans as well as molecular data on the machinery underlying the glycosylation event. A key aspect for the full potency of S-layer nanoglycobiology is the unique self-assembly feature of the S-layer protein matrix. Being aware that in many cases the glycan structures associated with a protein are the key to protein function, S-layer protein glycosylation will add a new and valuable component to an 'S-layer based molecular construction kit'. In our long-term research strategy, S-layer nanoglycobiology shall converge with other functional glycosylation systems to produce 'functional' S-layer neoglycoproteins for diverse applications in the fields of nanobiotechnology and vaccine technology. Recent advances in the field of S-layer nanoglycobiology have made our overall strategy a tangible aim of the near future.

Horizontal gene transfer in chromalveolates

BACKGROUND

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the non-genealogical transfer of genetic material between different organisms, is considered a potentially important mechanism of genome evolution in eukaryotes. Using phylogenomic analyses of expressed sequence tag (EST) data generated from a clonal cell line of a free living dinoflagellate alga Karenia brevis, we investigated the impact of HGT on genome evolution in unicellular chromalveolate protists.

RESULTS

We identified 16 proteins that have originated in chromalveolates through ancient HGTs before the divergence of the genera Karenia and Karlodinium and one protein that was derived through a more recent HGT. Detailed analysis of the phylogeny and distribution of identified proteins demonstrates that eight have resulted from independent HGTs in several eukaryotic lineages.

CONCLUSION

Recurring intra- and interdomain gene exchange provides an important source of genetic novelty not only in parasitic taxa as previously demonstrated but as we show here, also in free-living protists. Investigating the tempo and mode of evolution of horizontally transferred genes in protists will therefore advance our understanding of mechanisms of adaptation in eukaryotes.

The x-ray structure of dTDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-glucose-3,4-ketoisomerase

The repeating unit of the glycan chain in the S-layer of the bacterium Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus L420-91(T) is composed of four alpha-d-rhamnose molecules and two 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-d-galactose moieties (abbreviated as Fucp3NAc). Formation of the glycan layer requires nucleotide-activated sugars as the donor molecules. Whereas the enzymes involved in the synthesis of GDP-rhamnose have been well characterized, less is known regarding the structures and enzymatic mechanisms of the enzymes required for the production of dTDP-Fucp3NAc. One of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of dTDP-Fucp3NAc is a 3,4-ketoisomerase, hereafter referred to as FdtA. Here we describe the first three-dimensional structure of this sugar isomerase complexed with dTDP and solved to 1.5 A resolution. The FdtA dimer assumes an almost jellyfish-like appearance with the sole alpha-helices representing the tentacles. Formation of the FdtA dimer represents a classical example of domain swapping whereby beta-strands 2 and 3 from one subunit form part of a beta-sheet in the second subunit. The active site architecture of FdtA is characterized by a cluster of three histidine residues, two of which, His(49) and His(51), appear to be strictly conserved in the amino acid sequences deposited to date. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments, enzymatic assays, and x-ray crystallographic analyses suggest that His(49) functions as an active site base.

Functional characterization of the initiation enzyme of S-layer glycoprotein glycan biosynthesis in Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a

The glycan chain of the S-layer glycoprotein of Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a is composed of repeating units [-->2)-alpha-l-Rhap-(1-->3)-beta-l-Rhap-(1-->2)-alpha-l-Rhap-(1-->], with a 2-O-methyl modification of the terminal trisaccharide at the nonreducing end of the glycan chain, a core saccharide composed of two or three alpha-l-rhamnose residues, and a beta-d-galactose residue as a linker to the S-layer protein. In this study, we report the biochemical characterization of WsaP of the S-layer glycosylation gene cluster as a UDP-Gal:phosphoryl-polyprenol Gal-1-phosphate transferase that primes the S-layer glycoprotein glycan biosynthesis of Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a. Our results demonstrate that the enzyme transfers in vitro a galactose-1-phosphate from UDP-galactose to endogenous phosphoryl-polyprenol and that the C-terminal half of WsaP carries the galactosyltransferase function, as already observed for the UDP-Gal:phosphoryl-polyprenol Gal-1-phosphate transferase WbaP from Salmonella enterica. To confirm the function of the enzyme, we show that WsaP is capable of reconstituting polysaccharide biosynthesis in WbaP-deficient strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

The dTDP-4-dehydro-6-deoxyglucose reductase encoding fcd gene is part of the surface layer glycoprotein glycosylation gene cluster of Geobacillus tepidamans GS5-97T

The glycan chain of the S-layer protein of Geobacillus tepidamans GS5-97(T) consists of disaccharide repeating units composed of L-rhamnose and D-fucose, the latter being a rare constituent of prokaryotic glycoconjugates. Although biosynthesis of nucleotide-activated L-rhamnose is well established, D-fucose biosynthesis is less investigated. The conversion of alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate into thymidine diphosphate (dTDP)-4-dehydro-6-deoxyglucose by the sequential action of RmlA (glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase) and RmlB (dTDP-glucose-4,6-dehydratase) is shared between the dTDP-D-fucose and the dTDP-L-rhamnose biosynthesis pathway. This key intermediate is processed by the dTDP-4-dehydro-6-deoxyglucose reductase Fcd to form dTDP-alpha-D-fucose. We identified the fcd gene in G. tepidamans GS5-97(T) by chromosome walking and performed functional characterization of the recombinant 308-amino acid enzyme. The in vitro activity of the enzymatic cascade (RmlB and Fcd) was monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography and the reaction product was confirmed by (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is the first characterization of the dTDP-alpha-D-fucopyranose biosynthesis pathway in a Gram-positive organism. fcd was identified as 1 of 20 open reading frames contained in a 17471-bp S-layer glycosylation (slg) gene cluster on the chromosome of G. tepidamans GS5-97(T). The sgtA structural gene is located immediately upstream of the slg gene cluster with an intergenic region of 247 nucleotides. By comparison of the SgtA amino acid sequence with the known glycosylation pattern of the S-layer protein SgsE of Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a, two out of the proposed three glycosylation sites on SgtA could be identified by electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry to be at positions Ser-792 and Thr-583.

The structure of secondary cell wall polymers: how Gram-positive bacteria stick their cell walls together

The cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria has been a subject of detailed chemical study over the past five decades. Outside the cytoplasmic membrane of these organisms the fundamental polymer is peptidoglycan (PG), which is responsible for the maintenance of cell shape and osmotic stability. In addition, typical essential cell wall polymers such as teichoic or teichuronic acids are linked to some of the peptidoglycan chains. In this review these compounds are considered as 'classical' cell wall polymers. In the course of recent investigations of bacterial cell surface layers (S-layers) a different class of 'non-classical' secondary cell wall polymers (SCWPs) has been identified, which is involved in anchoring of S-layers to the bacterial cell surface. Comparative analyses have shown considerable differences in chemical composition, overall structure and charge behaviour of these SCWPs. This review discusses the progress that has been made in understanding the structural principles of SCWPs, which may have useful applications in S-layer-based 'supramolecular construction kits' in nanobiotechnology.

N-acetylmuramic acid as capping element of alpha-D-fucose-containing S-layer glycoprotein glycans from Geobacillus tepidamans GS5-97T

Geobacillus tepidamans GS5-97(T) is a novel Gram-positive, moderately thermophilic bacterial species that is covered by a glycosylated surface layer (S-layer) protein. The isolated and purified S-layer glycoprotein SgtA was ultrastructurally and chemically investigated and showed several novel properties. By SDS-PAGE, SgtA was separated into four distinct bands in an apparent molecular mass range of 106-166 kDa. The three high molecular mass bands gave a positive periodic acid-Schiff staining reaction, whereas the 106-kDa band was nonglycosylated. Glycosylation of SgtA was investigated by means of chemical analyses, 600-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-fight mass spectrometry. Glycopeptides obtained after Pronase digestion revealed the glycan structure [-->2)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-alpha-D-Fucp-(1-->](n=approximately 20), with D-fucopyranose having never been identified before as a constituent of S-layer glycans. The rhamnose residue at the nonreducing end of the terminal repeating unit of the glycan chain was di-substituted. For the first time, (R)-N-acetylmuramic acid, the key component of prokaryotic peptidoglycan, was found in an alpha-linkage to carbon 3 of the terminal rhamnose residue, serving as capping motif of an S-layer glycan. In addition, that rhamnose was substituted at position 2 with a beta-N-acetylglucosamine residue. The S-layer glycan chains were bound via the trisaccharide core -->2)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1--> to carbon 3 of beta-D-galactose, which was attached in O-glycosidic linkage to serine and threonine residues of SgtA of G. tepidamans GS5-97(T).