Publications

• Crystal structure and acyl chain selectivity of Escherichia coli LpxD, the N-acyltransferase of lipid A biosynthesis.

  Bartling C.M., Raetz C.R.

  LpxD catalyzes the third step of lipid A biosynthesis, the R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP-dependent N-acylation of UDP-3-O-(acyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine, and is a target for new antibiotic development. Here we report the 2.6 A crystal structure of the Escherichia coli LpxD homotrimer (EcLpxD). As is the case in ... >> More

  LpxD catalyzes the third step of lipid A biosynthesis, the R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP-dependent N-acylation of UDP-3-O-(acyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine, and is a target for new antibiotic development. Here we report the 2.6 A crystal structure of the Escherichia coli LpxD homotrimer (EcLpxD). As is the case in Chlamydia trachomatis LpxD (CtLxpD), each EcLpxD chain consists of an N-terminal uridine-binding region, a left-handed parallel beta-helix (LbetaH), and a C-terminal alpha-helical domain. The backbones of the LbetaH domains of the two enzymes are similar, as are the positions of key active site residues. The N-terminal nucleotide binding domains are oriented differently relative to the LbetaH regions, but are similar when overlaid on each other. The orientation of the EcLpxD tripeptide (residues 303-305), connecting the distal end of the LbetaH and the proximal end of the C-terminal helical domains, differs from its counterpart in CtLpxD (residues 311-312); this results in a 120 degrees rotation of the C-terminal domain relative to the LbetaH region in EcLpxD versus CtLpxD. M290 of EcLpxD appears to cap the distal end of a hydrophobic cleft that binds the acyl chain of the R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP donor substrate. Under standard assay conditions, wild-type EcLpxD prefers R,S-3-hydroxymyristoyl-ACP over R,S-3-hydroxypalmitoyl-ACP by a factor of 3, whereas the M290A mutant has the opposite selectivity. Both wild-type and M290A EcLpxD rescue the conditional lethality of E. coli RL25, a temperature-sensitive strain harboring point mutations in lpxD. Complementation with wild-type EcLpxD restores normal lipid A containing only N-linked hydroxymyristate to RL25 at 42 degrees C, as judged by mass spectrometry, whereas the M290A mutant generates multiple lipid A species containing one or two longer hydroxy fatty acids in place of the usual R-3-hydroxymyristate at positions 2 and 2'. << Less

  Biochemistry 48:8672-8683(2009) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Structure and reactivity of LpxD, the N-acyltransferase of lipid A biosynthesis.

  Buetow L., Smith T.K., Dawson A., Fyffe S., Hunter W.N.

  The external layer of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane is primarily composed of a protective, selectively permeable LPS. The biosynthesis of LPS relies on UDP-3-O-acyl-glucosamine N-acyltransferase (LpxD), which transfers 3-hydroxy-arachidic acid from acyl carrier protein to the 2' amine ... >> More

  The external layer of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane is primarily composed of a protective, selectively permeable LPS. The biosynthesis of LPS relies on UDP-3-O-acyl-glucosamine N-acyltransferase (LpxD), which transfers 3-hydroxy-arachidic acid from acyl carrier protein to the 2' amine of UDP-3-O-myristoyl glucosamine in Chlamydia trachomatis. Our crystallographic study reveals that LpxD is a homotrimer, each subunit of which is constructed from a novel combination of an N-terminal uridine-binding domain, a core lipid-binding domain, and a C-terminal helical extension. Highly conserved residues dominate nucleotide binding. Phe-43 and Tyr-49 form pi-stacking interactions with uracil, and Asn-46 and His-284 form hydrogen bonds with the phosphate groups. These interactions place the glucosamine moiety at the catalytic center formed by two adjacent subunits. Here His-247 and His-284 contribute to a mechanism involving nucleophilic attack by the amine of one substrate on the carbonyl carbon of an acyl carrier protein thioester conjugate. Serendipitously, our study reveals a fatty acid (FA) binding groove near the catalytic center. MS elucidated the presence of a FA mixture binding to LpxD, with palmitic acid the most prevalent. The placement of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and the FA provides details of N-acyltransferase ligand interactions and allows for a description of structure and reactivity at an early stage of LPS assembly. << Less

  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104:4321-4326(2007) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Acyl chain specificity of the acyltransferases LpxA and LpxD and substrate availability contribute to lipid A fatty acid heterogeneity in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

  Bainbridge B.W., Karimi-Naser L., Reife R., Blethen F., Ernst R.K., Darveau R.P.

  Porphyromonas gingivalis lipid A is heterogeneous with regard to the number, type, and placement of fatty acids. Analysis of lipid A by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry reveals clusters of peaks differing by 14 mass units indicative of an altered distrib ... >> More

  Porphyromonas gingivalis lipid A is heterogeneous with regard to the number, type, and placement of fatty acids. Analysis of lipid A by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry reveals clusters of peaks differing by 14 mass units indicative of an altered distribution of the fatty acids generating different lipid A structures. To examine whether the transfer of hydroxy fatty acids with different chain lengths could account for the clustering of lipid A structures, P. gingivalis lpxA (lpxA(Pg)) and lpxD(Pg) were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli strains in which the homologous gene was mutated. Lipid A from strains expressing either of the P. gingivalis transferases was found to contain 16-carbon hydroxy fatty acids in addition to the normal E. coli 14-carbon hydroxy fatty acids, demonstrating that these acyltransferases display a relaxed acyl chain length specificity. Both LpxA and LpxD, from either E. coli or P. gingivalis, were also able to incorporate odd-chain fatty acids into lipid A when grown in the presence of 1% propionic acid. This indicates that E. coli lipid A acyltransferases do not have an absolute specificity for 14-carbon hydroxy fatty acids but can transfer fatty acids differing by one carbon unit if the fatty acid substrates are available. We conclude that the relaxed specificity of the P. gingivalis lipid A acyltransferases and the substrate availability account for the lipid A structural clusters that differ by 14 mass units observed in P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide preparations. << Less

  J Bacteriol 190:4549-4558(2008) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• A continuous fluorescent enzyme assay for early steps of lipid A biosynthesis.

  Jenkins R.J., Dotson G.D.

  UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (LpxA) and UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxyacyl)-glucosamine acyltransferase (LpxD) catalyze the first and third steps of lipid A biosynthesis, respectively. Both enzymes have been found to be essential for survival among gram-negative bacteria that synthesize lipopolys ... >> More

  UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (LpxA) and UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxyacyl)-glucosamine acyltransferase (LpxD) catalyze the first and third steps of lipid A biosynthesis, respectively. Both enzymes have been found to be essential for survival among gram-negative bacteria that synthesize lipopolysaccharide and are viable targets for antimicrobial development. Catalytically, both acyltransferases catalyze an acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP)-dependent transfer of a fatty acyl moiety to a UDP-glucosamine core ring. Here, we exploited the single free thiol unveiled on holo-ACP after transfer of the fatty acyl group to the glucosamine ring using the thiol-specific labeling reagent, ThioGlo. The assay was continuously monitored as a change in fluorescence at λ(ex)=379 nm and λ(em)=513 nm using a microtiter plate reader. This assay marks the first continuous and nonradioactive assay for either acyltransferase. << Less

  Anal Biochem 425:21-27(2012) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Steady-state kinetics and mechanism of LpxD, the N-acyltransferase of lipid A biosynthesis.

  Bartling C.M., Raetz C.R.

  LpxD catalyzes the third step of lipid A biosynthesis, the (R)-3-hydroxymyristoyl-acyl carrier protein ( R-3-OHC14-ACP)-dependent N-acylation of UDP-3-O-[(R)-3-hydroxymyristoyl]-alpha-D-glucosamine [UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN]. We have now overexpressed and purified Escherichia coli LpxD to homogene ... >> More

  LpxD catalyzes the third step of lipid A biosynthesis, the (R)-3-hydroxymyristoyl-acyl carrier protein ( R-3-OHC14-ACP)-dependent N-acylation of UDP-3-O-[(R)-3-hydroxymyristoyl]-alpha-D-glucosamine [UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN]. We have now overexpressed and purified Escherichia coli LpxD to homogeneity. Steady-state kinetics suggest a compulsory ordered mechanism in which R-3-OHC14-ACP binds prior to UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN. The product, UDP-2,3-diacylglucosamine, dissociates prior to ACP; the latter is a competitive inhibitor against R-3-OHC14-ACP and a noncompetitive inhibitor against UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN. UDP-2-N-[(R)-3-Hydroxymyristoyl]-alpha-D-glucosamine, obtained by mild base hydrolysis of UDP-2,3-diacylglucosamine, is a noncompetitive inhibitor against both substrates. Synthetic (R)-3-hydroxylauroyl-methylphosphopantetheine is an uncompetitive inhibitor against R-3-OHC14-ACP and a competitive inhibitor against UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN, but (R)-3-hydroxylauroyl-methylphosphopantetheine is also a very poor substrate. A compulsory ordered mechanism is consistent with the fact that R-3-OHC14-ACP has a high binding affinity for free LpxD whereas UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN does not. Divalent cations inhibit R-3-OHC14-ACP-dependent acylation but not (R)-3-hydroxylauroyl-methylphosphopantetheine-dependent acylation, indicating that the acidic recognition helix of R-3-OHC14-ACP contributes to binding. The F41A mutation increases the K(M) for UDP-3-O-(R-3-OHC14)-GlcN 30-fold, consistent with aromatic stacking of the corresponding F43 side chain against the uracil moiety of bound UDP-GlcNAc in the X-ray structure of Chlamydia trachomatis LpxD. Mutagenesis implicates E. coli H239 but excludes H276 as the catalytic base, and neither residue is likely to stabilize the oxyanion intermediate. << Less

  Biochemistry 47:5290-5302(2008) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• The firA gene of Escherichia coli encodes UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-glucosamine N-acyltransferase. The third step of endotoxin biosynthesis.

  Kelly T.M., Stachula S.A., Raetz C.R.H., Anderson M.S.

  The possibility that the firA gene of Escherichia coli (Dicker, I. B., and Seetharam, S. (1991) Mol. Microbiol. 6, 817-823) might function in lipid A biosynthesis was examined based on its homology to the lpxA gene, which encodes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine O-acyl-transferase, the first enzyme in lipi ... >> More

  The possibility that the firA gene of Escherichia coli (Dicker, I. B., and Seetharam, S. (1991) Mol. Microbiol. 6, 817-823) might function in lipid A biosynthesis was examined based on its homology to the lpxA gene, which encodes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine O-acyl-transferase, the first enzyme in lipid A formation. Extracts of a temperature-sensitive firA mutant, RL-25, were assayed for their ability to acylate UDP-GlcNAc, using a coupled assay. The results suggested that extracts of RL-25 might be defective in the third enzyme of this pathway, the UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-glucosamine N-acyltransferase. Living cells of RL-25 also displayed a 5-fold decreased rate of lipid A biosynthesis at the nonpermissive temperature as judged by a 32Pi incorporation assay. In order to examine N-acyltransferase activity directly, the substrate [alpha-32P]UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-GlcN was synthesized enzymatically. N-Acyltransferase specific activity in RL-25 extracts was reduced to less than 10% of wild-type. When the wild-type firA gene was cloned into a T7-based expression vector, N-acyltransferase specific activity increased almost 360-fold relative to wild-type extracts, demonstrating that firA is the structural gene for the enzyme. The N-acyltransferase displays absolute specificity for the R-3-OH moiety of R-3-hydroxymyristoyl-ACP, as does the O-acyltransferase, consistent with the placement of R-3-hydroxymyristate in E. coli lipid A. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 268:19866-19874(1993) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Defective biosynthesis of the lipid A component of temperature-sensitive firA (omsA) mutant of Escherichia coli.

  Helander I.M., Lindner B., Seydel U., Vaara M.

  The biosynthesis of lipid A component was shown to be defective in a temperature-sensitive firA mutant of Escherichia coli. Cells were biosynthetically labelled with [14C]acetate and incorporation of radioactivity into the glycerophospholipid compared to lipid A fractions was measured. The lipid A ... >> More

  The biosynthesis of lipid A component was shown to be defective in a temperature-sensitive firA mutant of Escherichia coli. Cells were biosynthetically labelled with [14C]acetate and incorporation of radioactivity into the glycerophospholipid compared to lipid A fractions was measured. The lipid A/glycerophospholipid biosynthesis ratio of the firA mutant at 37 degrees C was approximately 50%, and at the nonpermissive temperature of 42 degrees C was less than 20% of that observed in the corresponding wild-type strain. Analysis of radiolabelled lipid A 4'-monophosphate derivatives and glycerophospholipids by thin-layer chromatography revealed that the firA mutant at 42 degrees C elaborated an altered lipid A, and its phosphatidylglycerol content was low. The chemical composition of the extracted lipopolysaccharides differed significantly between the firA and the wild-type strain only in the proportion of hexadecanoic acid, which was minimal in the wild type grown at 37 degrees C and 42 degrees C and in firA lipopolysaccharide grown at 37 degrees C. In the firA mutant lipopolysaccharide produced at 42 degrees C, hexadecanoic acid was present in approximately every third molecule, attached to the hydroxyl group of the amide-linked (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid at the reducing glucosamine of lipid A. Inspection of dephosphorylated free lipid A preparations by laser-desorption mass spectrometry confirmed that significant amounts of heptaacyl lipid A was elaborated by the firA strain grown at 42 degrees C. << Less

  Eur. J. Biochem. 212:363-369(1993) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]