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Morgado SM, Fonseca ÉL, Freitas FS, Bighi NS, Oliveira PPC, Monteiro PM, Lima LS, Santos BP, Sousa MAR, Assumpção AO, Mascarenhas LA, Vicente ACP. Outbreak of high-risk XDR CRAB of international clone 2 (IC2) in Rio Janeiro, Brazil. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2023; 34:91-98. [PMID: 37419183 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2023.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Among the high-risk clones of Acinetobacter baumannii, called international clones (ICs), IC2 represents the main lineage causing outbreaks worldwide. Despite the successful global spread of IC2, the occurrence of IC2 is rarely reported in Latin America. Here, we aimed to evaluate the susceptibility and genetic relatedness of isolates from a nosocomial outbreak in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (2022) and perform genomic epidemiology analyses of the available genomes of A. baumannii. METHODS Sixteen strains of A. baumannii were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests and genome sequencing. These genomes were compared phylogenetically with other IC2 genomes from the NCBI database, and virulence and antibiotic resistance genes were searched. RESULTS The 16 strains represented carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) with an extensively drug-resistant profile. In silico analysis established the relationship between the Brazilian CRAB genomes and IC2/ST2 genomes in the world. The Brazilian strains belonged to three sub-lineages, associated with genomes from countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. These sub-lineages presented three distinct capsules, KL7, KL9, and KL56. The Brazilian strains were characterised by the co-presence of blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-66, in addition to the genes APH(6), APH(3"), ANT(3"), AAC(6'), armA, and the efflux pumps adeABC and adeIJK. A large set of virulence genes was also identified: adeFGH/efflux pump; the siderophores barAB, basABCDFGHIJ, and bauBCDEF; lpxABCDLM/capsule; tssABCDEFGIKLM/T6SS; and pgaABCD/biofilm. CONCLUSION Widespread extensively drug-resistant CRAB IC2/ST2 is currently causing outbreaks in clinical settings in southeastern Brazil. This is due to at least three sub-lineages characterised by an enormous apparatus of virulence and resistance to antibiotics, both intrinsic and mobile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio M Morgado
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microorganisms, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Érica L Fonseca
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microorganisms, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernanda S Freitas
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microorganisms, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nathalia S Bighi
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microorganisms, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Priscila P C Oliveira
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Priscilla M Monteiro
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lorena S Lima
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bianca P Santos
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria A R Sousa
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adriana O Assumpção
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz A Mascarenhas
- Hospital Infection Control Committee, São Francisco na Providência de Deus Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina P Vicente
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microorganisms, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Sun G, Liao J, Kurze E, Hoffmann TD, Steinchen W, McGraphery K, Habegger R, Marek L, Catici DAM, Ludwig C, Jing T, Hoffmann T, Song C, Schwab W. Apocarotenoids are allosteric effectors of a dimeric plant glycosyltransferase involved in defense and lignin formation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:2080-2098. [PMID: 36908092 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Glycosyltransferases are nature's versatile tools to tailor the functionalities of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and small molecules by transferring sugars. Prominent substrates are hydroxycoumarins such as scopoletin, which serve as natural plant protection agents. Similarly, C13-apocarotenoids, which are oxidative degradation products of carotenoids/xanthophylls, protect plants by repelling pests and attracting pest predators. We show that C13-apocarotenoids interact with the plant glycosyltransferase NbUGT72AY1 and induce conformational changes in the enzyme catalytic center ultimately reducing its inherent UDP-α-d-glucose glucohydrolase activity and increasing its catalytic activity for productive hydroxycoumarin substrates. By contrast, C13-apocarotenoids show no effect on the catalytic activity toward monolignol lignin precursors, which are competitive substrates. In vivo studies in tobacco plants (Nicotiana benthamiana) confirmed increased glycosylation activity upon apocarotenoid supplementation. Thus, hydroxycoumarins and apocarotenoids represent specialized damage-associated molecular patterns, as they each provide precise information about the plant compartments damaged by pathogen attack. The molecular basis for the C13-apocarotenoid-mediated interplay of two plant protective mechanisms and their function as allosteric enhancers opens up potential applications of the natural products in agriculture and pharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxin Sun
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Jieren Liao
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Kurze
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Timothy D Hoffmann
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 14, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kate McGraphery
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Ruth Habegger
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Ludwig Marek
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Dragana A M Catici
- Center for Protein Assemblies (CPA), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Christina Ludwig
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Tingting Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, 230036, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Thomas Hoffmann
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Chuankui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, 230036, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wilfried Schwab
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354, Freising, Germany
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3
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Structural analysis of the pseudaminic acid synthase PseI from Campylobacter jejuni. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 635:252-258. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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4
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Cain JA, Dale AL, Sumer-Bayraktar Z, Solis N, Cordwell SJ. Identifying the targets and functions of N-linked protein glycosylation in Campylobacter jejuni. Mol Omics 2021; 16:287-304. [PMID: 32347268 DOI: 10.1039/d0mo00032a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans that is primarily associated with the consumption of inadequately prepared poultry products, since the organism is generally thought to be asymptomatic in avian species. Unlike many other microorganisms, C. jejuni is capable of performing extensive post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins by N- and O-linked glycosylation, both of which are required for optimal chicken colonization and human virulence. The biosynthesis and attachment of N-glycans to C. jejuni proteins is encoded by the pgl (protein glycosylation) locus, with the PglB oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) enabling en bloc transfer of a heptasaccharide N-glycan from a lipid carrier in the inner membrane to proteins exposed within the periplasm. Seventy-eight C. jejuni glycoproteins (represented by 134 sites of experimentally verified N-glycosylation) have now been identified, and include inner and outer membrane proteins, periplasmic proteins and lipoproteins, which are generally of poorly defined or unknown function. Despite our extensive knowledge of the targets of this apparently widespread process, we still do not fully understand the role N-glycosylation plays biologically, although several phenotypes, including wild-type stress resistance, biofilm formation, motility and chemotaxis have been related to a functional pgl system. Recent work has described enzymatic processes (nitrate reductase NapAB) and antibiotic efflux (CmeABC) as major targets requiring N-glycan attachment for optimal function, and experimental evidence also points to roles in cell binding via glycan-glycan interactions, protein complex formation and protein stability by conferring protection against host and bacterial proteolytic activity. Here we examine the biochemistry of the N-linked glycosylation system, define its currently known protein targets and discuss evidence for the structural and functional roles of this PTM in individual proteins and globally in C. jejuni pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel A Cain
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Level 4 East, The Hub Building (D17), 2006, Australia.
| | - Ashleigh L Dale
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Level 4 East, The Hub Building (D17), 2006, Australia.
| | - Zeynep Sumer-Bayraktar
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Level 4 East, The Hub Building (D17), 2006, Australia.
| | - Nestor Solis
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Stuart J Cordwell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Level 4 East, The Hub Building (D17), 2006, Australia. and Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia and Sydney Mass Spectrometry, The University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
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5
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Srivastava J, Sunthar P, Balaji PV. Monosaccharide Biosynthesis Pathways Database. Glycobiology 2021; 31:1636-1644. [PMID: 33909069 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A distinctive feature of glycans vis-à-vis proteins and nucleic acids is its structural complexity which arises from the huge repertoire of monosaccharides, isomeric linkages and branching. A very large number of monosaccharides have so far been discovered in natural glycans. Experimentally, pathways for the biosynthesis have been characterized completely for 55 monosaccharides and partially for a few more. However, there is no single platform which provides information about monosaccharide biosynthesis pathways and associated enzymes We have gathered 572 experimentally characterized enzymes of 66 biosynthesis pathways from literature and set up a first of its kind database called the Monosaccharide Biosynthesis Pathways Database http://www.bio.iitb.ac.in/mbpd/). Annotations such as the reaction catalysed, substrate specificity, biosynthesis pathway and PubMed IDs are provided for all the enzymes in the database. Sequence homologs of the experimentally characterized enzymes found in nearly 13,000 completely sequenced genomes from Bacteria and Archaea have also been included in the database. This platform will help in the deduction of evolutionary relationships among enzymes such as aminotransferases, nucleotidyltransferases, acetyltransferases and SDR family enzymes. It can also facilitate experimental studies such as direct enzyme assays to validate putative annotations, establish structure-function relationship, expression profiling to determine the function, determine the phenotypic consequences of gene knock-out/knock-in and complementation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Srivastava
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - P Sunthar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Petety V Balaji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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The sps Genes Encode an Original Legionaminic Acid Pathway Required for Crust Assembly in Bacillus subtilis. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.01153-20. [PMID: 32817102 PMCID: PMC7439481 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01153-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The crust is the outermost spore layer of most Bacillus strains devoid of an exosporium. This outermost layer, composed of both proteins and carbohydrates, plays a major role in the adhesion and spreading of spores into the environment. Recent studies have identified several crust proteins and have provided insights about their organization at the spore surface. However, although carbohydrates are known to participate in adhesion, little is known about their composition, structure, and localization. In this study, we showed that the spore surface of Bacillus subtilis is covered with legionaminic acid (Leg), a nine-carbon backbone nonulosonic acid known to decorate the flagellin of the human pathogens Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni We demonstrated that the spsC, spsD, spsE, spsG, and spsM genes of Bacillus subtilis are required for Leg biosynthesis during sporulation, while the spsF gene is required for Leg transfer from the mother cell to the surface of the forespore. We also characterized the activity of SpsM and highlighted an original Leg biosynthesis pathway in B. subtilis Finally, we demonstrated that Leg is required for the assembly of the crust around the spores, and we showed that in the absence of Leg, spores were more adherent to stainless steel probably because of their reduced hydrophilicity and charge.IMPORTANCE Bacillus species are a major economic and food safety concern of the food industry because of their food spoilage-causing capability and persistence. Their persistence is mainly due to their ability to form highly resistant spores adhering to the surfaces of industrial equipment. Spores of the Bacillus subtilis group are surrounded by the crust, a superficial layer which plays a key role in their adhesion properties. However, knowledge of the composition and structure of this layer remains incomplete. Here, for the first time, we identified a nonulosonic acid (Leg) at the surfaces of bacterial spores (B. subtilis). We uncovered a novel Leg biosynthesis pathway, and we demonstrated that Leg is required for proper crust assembly. This work contributes to the description of the structure and composition of Bacillus spores which has been under way for decades, and it provides keys to understanding the importance of carbohydrates in Bacillus adhesion and persistence in the food industry.
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7
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Flack EKP, Chidwick HS, Best M, Thomas GH, Fascione MA. Synthetic Approaches for Accessing Pseudaminic Acid (Pse) Bacterial Glycans. Chembiochem 2020; 21:1397-1407. [PMID: 31944494 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pseudaminic acids (Pses) are a group of non-mammalian nonulosonic acids (nulOs) that have been shown to be an important virulence factor for a number of pathogenic bacteria, including emerging multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Despite their discovery over 30 years ago, relatively little is known about the biological significance of Pse glycans compared with their sialic acid analogues, primarily due to a lack of access to the synthetically challenging Pse architecture. Recently, however, the Pse backbone has been subjected to increasing synthetic exploration by carbohydrate (bio)chemists, and the total synthesis of complex Pse glycans achieved with inspiration from the biosynthesis and subsequent detailed study of chemical glycosylation by using Pse donors. Herein, context is provided for these efforts by summarising recent synthetic approaches pioneered for accessing Pse glycans, which are set to open up this underexplored area of glycoscience to the wider scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K P Flack
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Harriet S Chidwick
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Matthew Best
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Martin A Fascione
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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8
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Chidwick HS, Fascione MA. Mechanistic and structural studies into the biosynthesis of the bacterial sugar pseudaminic acid (Pse5Ac7Ac). Org Biomol Chem 2020; 18:799-809. [PMID: 31913385 DOI: 10.1039/c9ob02433f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The non-mammalian nonulosonic acid sugar pseudaminic acid (Pse) is present on the surface of a number of human pathogens including Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori and other bacteria such as multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. It is likely important for evasion of the host immune sysyem, and also plays a role in bacterial motility through flagellin glycosylation. Herein we review the mechanistic and structural characterisation of the enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of the Pse parent structure, Pse5Ac7Ac in bacteria.
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9
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Salah Ud-Din AIM, Roujeinikova A. Flagellin glycosylation with pseudaminic acid in Campylobacter and Helicobacter: prospects for development of novel therapeutics. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:1163-1178. [PMID: 29080090 PMCID: PMC11105201 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2696-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Many pathogenic bacteria require flagella-mediated motility to colonise and persist in their hosts. Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni are flagellated epsilonproteobacteria associated with several human pathologies, including gastritis, acute diarrhea, gastric carcinoma and neurological disorders. In both species, glycosylation of flagellin with an unusual sugar pseudaminic acid (Pse) plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of functional flagella, and thereby in bacterial motility and pathogenesis. Pse is found only in pathogenic bacteria. Its biosynthesis via six consecutive enzymatic steps has been extensively studied in H. pylori and C. jejuni. This review highlights the importance of flagella glycosylation and details structural insights into the enzymes in the Pse pathway obtained via a combination of biochemical, crystallographic, and mutagenesis studies of the enzyme-substrate and -inhibitor complexes. It is anticipated that understanding the underlying structural and molecular basis of the catalytic mechanisms of the Pse-synthesising enzymes will pave the way for the development of novel antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Iftiaf Md Salah Ud-Din
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Roujeinikova
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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Friedrich V, Janesch B, Windwarder M, Maresch D, Braun ML, Megson ZA, Vinogradov E, Goneau MF, Sharma A, Altmann F, Messner P, Schoenhofen IC, Schäffer C. Tannerella forsythia strains display different cell-surface nonulosonic acids: biosynthetic pathway characterization and first insight into biological implications. Glycobiology 2018; 27:342-357. [PMID: 27986835 PMCID: PMC5378307 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cww129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tannerella forsythia is an anaerobic, Gram-negative periodontal pathogen. A unique O-linked oligosaccharide decorates the bacterium's cell surface proteins and was shown to modulate the host immune response. In our study, we investigated the biosynthesis of the nonulosonic acid (NulO) present at the terminal position of this glycan. A bioinformatic analysis of T. forsythia genomes revealed a gene locus for the synthesis of pseudaminic acid (Pse) in the type strain ATCC 43037 while strains FDC 92A2 and UB4 possess a locus for the synthesis of legionaminic acid (Leg) instead. In contrast to the NulO in ATCC 43037, which has been previously identified as a Pse derivative (5-N-acetimidoyl-7-N-glyceroyl-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-glycero-l-manno-NulO), glycan analysis of strain UB4 performed in this study indicated a 350-Da, possibly N-glycolyl Leg (3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-NulO) derivative with unknown C5,7 N-acyl moieties. We have expressed, purified and characterized enzymes of both NulO pathways to confirm these genes’ functions. Using capillary electrophoresis (CE), CE–mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, our studies revealed that Pse biosynthesis in ATCC 43037 essentially follows the UDP-sugar route described in Helicobacter pylori, while the pathway in strain FDC 92A2 corresponds to Leg biosynthesis in Campylobacter jejuni involving GDP-sugar intermediates. To demonstrate that the NulO biosynthesis enzymes are functional in vivo, we created knockout mutants resulting in glycans lacking the respective NulO. Compared to the wild-type strains, the mutants exhibited significantly reduced biofilm formation on mucin-coated surfaces, suggestive of their involvement in host-pathogen interactions or host survival. This study contributes to understanding possible biological roles of bacterial NulOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Friedrich
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bettina Janesch
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Windwarder
- Department of Chemistry, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 18, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of Chemistry, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 18, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias L Braun
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoë A Megson
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna, Austria
| | - Evgeny Vinogradov
- National Research Council, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marie-France Goneau
- National Research Council, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ashu Sharma
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, 311 Foster Hall, 3435 Main St. Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 18, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Messner
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ian C Schoenhofen
- National Research Council, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christina Schäffer
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Mishra SK, Calabró G, Loeffler HH, Michel J, Koča J. Evaluation of Selected Classical Force Fields for Alchemical Binding Free Energy Calculations of Protein-Carbohydrate Complexes. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 11:3333-45. [PMID: 26575767 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5b00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein-carbohydrate recognition is crucial in many vital biological processes including host-pathogen recognition, cell-signaling, and catalysis. Accordingly, computational prediction of protein-carbohydrate binding free energies is of enormous interest for drug design. However, the accuracy of current force fields (FFs) for predicting binding free energies of protein-carbohydrate complexes is not well understood owing to technical challenges such as the highly polar nature of the complexes, anomerization, and conformational flexibility of carbohydrates. The present study evaluated the performance of alchemical predictions of binding free energies with the GAFF1.7/AM1-BCC and GLYCAM06j force fields for modeling protein-carbohydrate complexes. Mean unsigned errors of 1.1 ± 0.06 (GLYCAM06j) and 2.6 ± 0.08 (GAFF1.7/AM1-BCC) kcal·mol(-1) are achieved for a large data set of monosaccharide ligands for Ralstonia solanacearum lectin (RSL). The level of accuracy provided by GLYCAM06j is sufficient to discriminate potent, moderate, and weak binders, a goal that has been difficult to achieve through other scoring approaches. Accordingly, the protocols presented here could find useful applications in carbohydrate-based drug and vaccine developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushil K Mishra
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University , Kamenice-5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Gaetano Calabró
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building , King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Hannes H Loeffler
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC Daresbury , Warrington, WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Michel
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building , King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jaroslav Koča
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University , Kamenice-5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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12
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Song WS, Nam MS, Namgung B, Yoon SI. Structural analysis of PseH, the Campylobacter jejuni N-acetyltransferase involved in bacterial O-linked glycosylation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 458:843-8. [PMID: 25698400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Campylobacter jejuni is a bacterium that uses flagella for motility and causes worldwide acute gastroenteritis in humans. The C. jejuni N-acetyltransferase PseH (cjPseH) is responsible for the third step in flagellin O-linked glycosylation and plays a key role in flagellar formation and motility. cjPseH transfers an acetyl group from an acetyl donor, acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA), to the amino group of UDP-4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-N-acetyl-β-L-altrosamine to produce UDP-2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-altropyranose. To elucidate the catalytic mechanism of cjPseH, crystal structures of cjPseH alone and in complex with AcCoA were determined at 1.95 Å resolution. cjPseH folds into a single-domain structure of a central β-sheet decorated by four α-helices with two continuously connected grooves. A deep groove (groove-A) accommodates the AcCoA molecule. Interestingly, the acetyl end of AcCoA points toward an open space in a neighboring shallow groove (groove-S), which is occupied by extra electron density that potentially serves as a pseudosubstrate, suggesting that the groove-S may provide a substrate-binding site. Structure-based comparative analysis suggests that cjPseH utilizes a unique catalytic mechanism of acetylation that has not been observed in other glycosylation-associated acetyltransferases. Thus, our studies on cjPseH will provide valuable information for the design of new antibiotics to treat C. jejuni-induced gastroenteritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Seok Song
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Sun Nam
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeol Namgung
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-il Yoon
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
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Small-molecule inhibitors of the pseudaminic acid biosynthetic pathway: targeting motility as a key bacterial virulence factor. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2014; 58:7430-40. [PMID: 25267679 DOI: 10.1128/aac.03858-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is motile by means of polar flagella, and this motility has been shown to play a critical role in pathogenicity. The major structural flagellin proteins have been shown to be glycosylated with the nonulosonate sugar, pseudaminic acid (Pse). This glycan is unique to microorganisms, and the process of flagellin glycosylation is required for H. pylori flagellar assembly and consequent motility. As such, the Pse biosynthetic pathway offers considerable potential as an antivirulence drug target, especially since motility is required for H. pylori colonization and persistence in the host. This report describes screening the five Pse biosynthetic enzymes for small-molecule inhibitors using both high-throughput screening (HTS) and in silico (virtual screening [VS]) approaches. Using a 100,000-compound library, 1,773 hits that exhibited a 40% threshold inhibition at a 10 μM concentration were identified by HTS. In addition, VS efforts using a 1.6-million compound library directed at two pathway enzymes identified 80 hits, 4 of which exhibited reasonable inhibition at a 10 μM concentration in vitro. Further secondary screening which identified 320 unique molecular structures or validated hits was performed. Following kinetic studies and structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of selected inhibitors from our refined list of 320 compounds, we demonstrated that three inhibitors with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of approximately 14 μM, which belonged to a distinct chemical cluster, were able to penetrate the Gram-negative cell membrane and prevent formation of flagella.
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14
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Morrison MJ, Imperiali B. The renaissance of bacillosamine and its derivatives: pathway characterization and implications in pathogenicity. Biochemistry 2014; 53:624-38. [PMID: 24383882 PMCID: PMC3951908 DOI: 10.1021/bi401546r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
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Prokaryote-specific
sugars, including N,N′-diacetylbacillosamine
(diNAcBac) and pseudaminic
acid, have experienced a renaissance in the past decade because of
their discovery in glycans related to microbial pathogenicity. DiNAcBac
is found at the reducing end of oligosaccharides of N- and O-linked
bacterial protein glycosylation pathways of Gram-negative pathogens,
including Campylobacter jejuni and Neisseria
gonorrhoeae. Further derivatization of diNAcBac results in
the nonulosonic acid known as legionaminic acid, which was first characterized
in the O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Legionella
pneumophila. Pseudaminic acid, an isomer of legionaminic
acid, is also important in pathogenic bacteria such as Helicobacter
pylori because of its occurrence in O-linked glycosylation
of flagellin proteins, which plays an important role in flagellar
assembly and motility. Here, we present recent advances in the characterization
of the biosynthetic pathways leading to these highly modified sugars
and investigation of the roles that each plays in bacterial fitness
and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Morrison
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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15
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Zunk M, Kiefel MJ. The occurrence and biological significance of the α-keto-sugars pseudaminic acid and legionaminic acid within pathogenic bacteria. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ra44924f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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16
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Khan MA, Knox N, Prashar A, Alexander D, Abdel-Nour M, Duncan C, Tang P, Amatullah H, Dos Santos CC, Tijet N, Low DE, Pourcel C, Van Domselaar G, Terebiznik M, Ensminger AW, Guyard C. Comparative Genomics Reveal That Host-Innate Immune Responses Influence the Clinical Prevalence of Legionella pneumophila Serogroups. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67298. [PMID: 23826259 PMCID: PMC3694923 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is the primary etiologic agent of legionellosis, a potentially fatal respiratory illness. Amongst the sixteen described L. pneumophila serogroups, a majority of the clinical infections diagnosed using standard methods are serogroup 1 (Sg1). This high clinical prevalence of Sg1 is hypothesized to be linked to environmental specific advantages and/or to increased virulence of strains belonging to Sg1. The genetic determinants for this prevalence remain unknown primarily due to the limited genomic information available for non-Sg1 clinical strains. Through a systematic attempt to culture Legionella from patient respiratory samples, we have previously reported that 34% of all culture confirmed legionellosis cases in Ontario (n = 351) are caused by non-Sg1 Legionella. Phylogenetic analysis combining multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis and sequence based typing profiles of all non-Sg1 identified that L. pneumophila clinical strains (n = 73) belonging to the two most prevalent molecular types were Sg6. We conducted whole genome sequencing of two strains representative of these sequence types and one distant neighbour. Comparative genomics of the three L. pneumophila Sg6 genomes reported here with published L. pneumophila serogroup 1 genomes identified genetic differences in the O-antigen biosynthetic cluster. Comparative optical mapping analysis between Sg6 and Sg1 further corroborated this finding. We confirmed an altered O-antigen profile of Sg6, and tested its possible effects on growth and replication in in vitro biological models and experimental murine infections. Our data indicates that while clinical Sg1 might not be better suited than Sg6 in colonizing environmental niches, increased bloodstream dissemination through resistance to the alternative pathway of complement mediated killing in the human host may explain its higher prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Adil Khan
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natalie Knox
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Akriti Prashar
- Cell and Systems Biology and Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Alexander
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mena Abdel-Nour
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Hajera Amatullah
- The Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claudia C. Dos Santos
- The Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Donald E. Low
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Pourcel
- Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Paris, France
| | - Gary Van Domselaar
- Cell and Systems Biology and Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mauricio Terebiznik
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Alexander W. Ensminger
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cyril Guyard
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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17
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Ricaldi JN, Matthias MA, Vinetz JM, Lewis AL. Expression of sialic acids and other nonulosonic acids in Leptospira. BMC Microbiol 2012; 12:161. [PMID: 22853805 PMCID: PMC3438082 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sialic acids are negatively charged nine carbon backbone sugars expressed on mammalian cell surfaces. Sialic acids are part of a larger family of nonulosonic acid (NulO) molecules that includes pseudaminic and legionaminic acids. Microbial expression of sialic acids and other nonulosonic acids has been shown to contribute to host-microbe interactions in a variety of contexts, including participation in colonization, immune subversion, and behaviors such as biofilm formation, autoagglutination and motility. Previous research has suggested that some spirochetes may also express these molecules. Results Here we use a combination of molecular tools to investigate the presence of NulO biosynthetic gene clusters among clinical and saprophytic isolates of the genus Leptospira. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern blotting suggested that a variety of leptospires encoded NulO biosynthetic pathways. High performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses provided biochemical evidence that di-N-acetylated NulO molecules are expressed at relatively high levels by L. interrogans serovar Lai strain 55601, and at lower levels by L. alexanderi serovar Manhao and L. fainei serovar Hurstbridge. Endogenous expression of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac, the most common sialic acid) was documented in L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain L1-130. Neu5Ac biosynthesis is also supported by a unique gene fusion event resulting in an enzyme with an N-terminal N-acetylneuraminic acid synthase domain and a C-terminal phosphatase domain. This gene fusion suggests that L. interrogans uses a Neu5Ac biosynthetic pathway more similar to animals than to other bacteria. Analysis of the composition and phylogeny of putative NulO biosynthetic gene clusters in L. interrogans serovar Lai and serovar Copenhageni revealed that both strains have complete biosynthetic pathways for legionamimic acid synthesis, a molecule with the same stereochemistry as sialic acid. Lectin-based affinity purification of NulO-modified molecules, followed by mass spectrometric identification suggests post-translational modification of surface lipoproteins, including Loa22. Conclusions Leptospira species encode NulO biosynthetic pathways and synthesize multiple NulO molecules including sialic acid. Additional studies are needed to clarify the exact context and functional significance of NulO expression. These findings have implications for immune evasion during systemic leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica N Ricaldi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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18
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Foley BL, Tessier MB, Woods RJ. Carbohydrate force fields. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2012; 2:652-697. [PMID: 25530813 PMCID: PMC4270206 DOI: 10.1002/wcms.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Carbohydrates present a special set of challenges to the generation of force fields. First, the tertiary structures of monosaccharides are complex merely by virtue of their exceptionally high number of chiral centers. In addition, their electronic characteristics lead to molecular geometries and electrostatic landscapes that can be challenging to predict and model. The monosaccharide units can also interconnect in many ways, resulting in a large number of possible oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, both linear and branched. These larger structures contain a number of rotatable bonds, meaning they potentially sample an enormous conformational space. This article briefly reviews the history of carbohydrate force fields, examining and comparing their challenges, forms, philosophies, and development strategies. Then it presents a survey of recent uses of these force fields, noting trends, strengths, deficiencies, and possible directions for future expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Lachele Foley
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Matthew B. Tessier
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Robert J. Woods
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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19
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Corbeil CR, Williams CI, Labute P. Variability in docking success rates due to dataset preparation. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2012; 26:775-86. [PMID: 22566074 PMCID: PMC3397132 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-012-9570-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2011] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The results of cognate docking with the prepared Astex dataset provided by the organizers of the "Docking and Scoring: A Review of Docking Programs" session at the 241st ACS national meeting are presented. The MOE software with the newly developed GBVI/WSA dG scoring function is used throughout the study. For 80 % of the Astex targets, the MOE docker produces a top-scoring pose within 2 Å of the X-ray structure. For 91 % of the targets a pose within 2 Å of the X-ray structure is produced in the top 30 poses. Docking failures, defined as cases where the top scoring pose is greater than 2 Å from the experimental structure, are shown to be largely due to the absence of bound waters in the source dataset, highlighting the need to include these and other crucial information in future standardized sets. Docking success is shown to depend heavily on data preparation. A "dataset preparation" error of 0.5 kcal/mol is shown to cause fluctuations of over 20 % in docking success rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Corbeil
- Chemical Computing Group, Suite 910, 1010 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 2R7, Canada.
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