The fib locus in Streptococcus pneumoniae is required for peptidoglycan crosslinking and PBP-mediated beta-lactam resistance.
Penicillin resistance in pneumococci is mediated by modified penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) that have decreased affinity to beta-lactams. In high-level penicillin-resistant transformants of the laboratory strain Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 containing various combinations of low-affinity PBPs, disruption of the fib locus results in a collapse of PBP-mediated resistance. In addition, crosslinked muropeptides are highly reduced. The fib operon consists of two genes, fibA and fibB, homologous to Staphylococcus aureus femA/B which are also required for expression of methicillin resistance in this organism. FibA and FibB belong to a family of proteins of Gram-positive bacteria involved in the formation of interpeptide bridges, thus representing interesting new targets for antimicrobial compounds for this group of pathogens.
Weber
B
B
Univerität Kaiserslautern, Abteilung Mikrobiologie, Paul-Erlich Strasse, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Ehlert
K
K
Diehl
A
A
Reichmann
P
P
Labischinski
H
H
Hakenbeck
R
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009876:Operon; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000494:pharmacology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C096686:FemA protein, Bacteria; C102928:FemB protein, Staphylococcus epidermidis; C412826:FibA protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae; C412827:FibB protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D047090:beta-Lactams; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase