title: Gene disruption studies of penicillin-binding proteins 1a, 1b, and 2a in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: The effects of inactivation of the genes encoding penicillin-binding protein 1a (PBP1a), PBP1b, and PBP2a in Streptococcus pneumoniae were examined. Insertional mutants did not exhibit detectable changes in growth rate or morphology, although a pbp1a pbp1b double-disruption mutant grew more slowly than its parent did. Attempts to generate a pbp1a pbp2a double-disruption mutant failed. The pbp2a mutants, but not the other mutants, were more sensitive to moenomycin, a transglycosylase inhibitor. These observations suggest that individually the pbp1a, pbp1b, and pbp2a genes are dispensable but that either pbp1a or pbp2a is required for growth in vitro. These results also suggest that PBP2a is a functional transglycosylase in S. pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285, USA. Hoskins_JoAnn@Lilly.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoskins
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Nicas
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jaskunas
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001455:Bambermycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics*; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000235:genetics*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010453:Peptide Synthases; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases / Q000235:genetics*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C478699:penicillin-binding protein 2a, Streptococcus; D001455:Bambermycins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase; D010453:Peptide Synthases