title: Biosynthetic elongation of isolated teichuronic acid polymers via glucosyl- and N-acetylmannosaminuronosyltransferases from solubilized cytoplasmic membrane fragments of Micrococcus luteus.
abstract: Cytoplasmic membrane fragments of Micrococcus luteus catalyze in vitro biosynthesis of teichuronic acid from uridine diphosphate D-glucose (UDP-glucose), uridine diphosphate N-acetyl-D-mannosaminuronic acid (UDP-ManNAcA), and uridine diphosphate N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Membrane fragments solubilized with Thesit (dodecyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether) can utilize UDP-glucose and UDP-ManNAcA to effect elongation of teichuronic acid isolated from native cell walls. When UDP-glucose is the only substrate supplied, the detergent-solubilized glucosyltransferase incorporates a single glucosyl residue onto each teichuronic acid acceptor. When both UDP-glucose and UDP-ManNAcA are supplied, the glucosyltransferase and the N-acetylmannosaminuronosyltransferase act cooperatively to elongate the teichuronic acid acceptor by multiple additions of the disaccharide repeat unit. As shown by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, low-molecular-weight fractions of teichuronic acid are converted to higher-molecular-weight polymers by the addition of as many as 17 disaccharide repeat units.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008837:Micrococcus / Q000201:enzymology*; D017349:N-Acetylhexosaminyltransferases; D012995:Solubility; D014532:Uridine Diphosphate Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D014574:Uronic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014574:Uronic Acids; C010788:teichuronic acid; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D017349:N-Acetylhexosaminyltransferases; C054493:N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid transferase; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D005947:Glucose; D014532:Uridine Diphosphate Glucose