title: Vancomycin resistance in enterococci: reprogramming of the D-ala-D-Ala ligases in bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis.
abstract: Vancomycin binds to bacterial cell-wall intermediates to achieve its antibiotic effect. Infections of vancomycin-resistant enterococci are, however, becoming an increasing problem; the bacteria are resistant because they synthesize different cell-wall intermediates. The enzymes involved in cell-wall biosynthesis, therefore, are potential targets for combating this resistance. Recent biochemical and crystallographic results are providing mechanistic and structural details about some of these targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Lessard
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D010457:Peptidoglycan; D014640:Vancomycin; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C019638:D-alanylalanine synthetase