A bioorthogonal chemistry approach to detect the K1 polysialic acid capsule in Escherichia coli

Clicking in harmony: exploring the bio-orthogonal overlap in click chemistry

In the quest to scrutinize and modify biological systems, the global research community has continued to explore bio-orthogonal click reactions, a set of reactions exclusively targeting non-native molecules within biological systems. These methodologies have brought about a paradigm shift, demonstrating the feasibility of artificial chemical reactions occurring on cellular surfaces, in the cell cytosol, or within the body - an accomplishment challenging to achieve with the majority of conventional chemical reactions. This review delves into the principles of bio-orthogonal click chemistry, contrasting metal-catalyzed and metal-free reactions of bio-orthogonal nature. It comprehensively explores mechanistic details and applications, highlighting the versatility and potential of this methodology in diverse scientific contexts, from cell labelling to biosensing and polymer synthesis. Researchers globally continue to advance this powerful tool for precise and selective manipulation of biomolecules in complex biological systems.

Metabolic Usage and Glycan Destinations of GlcNAz in E. coli

Bacteria use a diverse range of carbohydrates to generate a profusion of glycans, with amino sugars, such as N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), being prevalent in the cell wall and in many exopolysaccharides. The primary substrate for GlcNAc-containing glycans, UDP-GlcNAc, is the product of the bacterial hexosamine pathway and a key target for bacterial metabolic glycan engineering. Using the strategy of expressing NahK, to circumvent the hexosamine pathway, it is possible to directly feed the analogue of GlcNAc, N-azidoacetylglucosamine (GlcNAz), for metabolic labeling in Escherichia coli. The cytosolic production of UDP-GlcNAz was confirmed by using fluorescence-assisted polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The key question of where GlcNAz is incorporated was interrogated by analyzing potential sites including peptidoglycan (PGN), the biofilm-related exopolysaccharide poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the enterobacterial common antigen (ECA). The highest levels of incorporation were observed in PGN with lower levels in PNAG and no observable incorporation in LPS or ECA. The promiscuity of the PNAG synthase (PgaCD) toward UDP-GlcNAz in vitro and the lack of undecaprenyl-pyrophosphoryl-GlcNAz intermediates generated in vivo confirmed the incorporation preferences. The results of this work will guide the future development of carbohydrate-based probes and metabolic engineering strategies.