Publications

• Wall teichoic acids of gram-positive bacteria.

  Brown S., Santa Maria J.P. Jr., Walker S.

  The peptidoglycan layers of many gram-positive bacteria are densely functionalized with anionic glycopolymers known as wall teichoic acids (WTAs). These polymers play crucial roles in cell shape determination, regulation of cell division, and other fundamental aspects of gram-positive bacterial ph ... >> More

  The peptidoglycan layers of many gram-positive bacteria are densely functionalized with anionic glycopolymers known as wall teichoic acids (WTAs). These polymers play crucial roles in cell shape determination, regulation of cell division, and other fundamental aspects of gram-positive bacterial physiology. Additionally, WTAs are important in pathogenesis and play key roles in antibiotic resistance. We provide an overview of WTA structure and biosynthesis, review recent studies on the biological roles of these polymers, and highlight remaining questions. We also discuss prospects for exploiting WTA biosynthesis as a target for new therapies to overcome resistant infections. << Less

  Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 67:313-336(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis W23 make polyribitol wall teichoic acids using different enzymatic pathways.

  Brown S., Meredith T., Swoboda J., Walker S.

  Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are anionic polymers that play key roles in bacterial cell shape, cell division, envelope integrity, biofilm formation, and pathogenesis. B. subtilis W23 and S. aureus both make polyribitol-phosphate (RboP) WTAs and contain similar sets of biosynthetic genes. We use in v ... >> More

  Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are anionic polymers that play key roles in bacterial cell shape, cell division, envelope integrity, biofilm formation, and pathogenesis. B. subtilis W23 and S. aureus both make polyribitol-phosphate (RboP) WTAs and contain similar sets of biosynthetic genes. We use in vitro reconstitution combined with genetics to show that the pathways for WTA biosynthesis in B. subtilis W23 and S. aureus are different. S. aureus requires a glycerol-phosphate primase called TarF in order to make RboP-WTAs; B. subtilis W23 contains a TarF homolog, but this enzyme makes glycerol-phosphate polymers and is not involved in RboP-WTA synthesis. Instead, B. subtilis TarK functions in place of TarF to prime the WTA intermediate for chain extension by TarL. This work highlights the enzymatic diversity of the poorly characterized family of phosphotransferases involved in WTA biosynthesis in Gram-positive organisms. << Less

  Chem. Biol. 17:1101-1110(2010) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 4 other entries.

• Comparison of ribitol and glycerol teichoic acid genes in Bacillus subtilis W23 and 168: identical function, similar divergent organization, but different regulation.

  Lazarevic V., Abellan F.-X., Beggah Moeller S., Karamata D., Maueel C.

  The tar genes directing the synthesis of poly(ribitol phosphate), the main teichoic acid in Bacillus subtilis strain W23, were sequenced. They are organized in two divergently transcribed operons, tarABIJKL and tarDF, as are the tag genes specifying poly(glycerol phosphate) synthesis in B. subtili ... >> More

  The tar genes directing the synthesis of poly(ribitol phosphate), the main teichoic acid in Bacillus subtilis strain W23, were sequenced. They are organized in two divergently transcribed operons, tarABIJKL and tarDF, as are the tag genes specifying poly(glycerol phosphate) synthesis in B. subtilis 168. The features of the tar genes as well as the putative participation of their products in the proposed biosynthesis pathway of poly(ribitol phosphate) are presented. The tarA and tarD genes, which are most likely involved in the synthesis of the linkage unit (the entity coupling teichoic acid to peptidoglycan), are separated by 508 nt. Sequences of the outer segments of this regulatory region are similar to the two divergent promoter regions identified upstream of the tagA and tagD genes in strain 168. However, in W23, these regions, which also included functional promoters, are separated by an additional DNA segment of about 100 nt, on which two new mRNA starts, one in each direction, were identified. The regulatory regions of teichoic acid divergons of Bacillus globigii, Bacillus licheniformis and eight strains of B. subtilis were cloned and sequenced. In four B. subtilis strains and in B. globigii, their length and sequence are similar to the regulatory region of W23. In the others, including B. licheniformis, they are of the 168-type. Analysis of nucleotide sequences of a non-coding grey hole, present in the tag region of strain 168, revealed higher similarities to tar than to tag entities. This suggests that at least part of the tag genes specifying the synthesis of glucosylated poly(glycerol phosphate) in strain 168 was introduced by horizontal gene transfer into a strain originally synthesizing a ribitol-phosphate-containing teichoic acid. << Less

  Microbiology 148:815-824(2002) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]