title: Pathway to synthesis and processing of mycolic acids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is known to synthesize alpha-, methoxy-, and keto-mycolic acids. We propose a detailed pathway to the biosynthesis of all mycolic acids in M. tuberculosis. Fatty acid synthetase I provides C(20)-S-coenzyme A to the fatty acid synthetase II system (FAS-IIA). Modules of FAS-IIA and FAS-IIB introduce cis unsaturation at two locations on a growing meroacid chain to yield three different forms of cis,cis-diunsaturated fatty acids (intermediates to alpha-, methoxy-, and keto-meroacids). These are methylated, and the mature meroacids and carboxylated C(26)-S-acyl carrier protein enter into the final Claisen-type condensation with polyketide synthase-13 (Pks13) to yield mycolyl-S-Pks13. We list candidate genes in the genome encoding the proposed dehydrase and isomerase in the FAS-IIA and FAS-IIB modules. We propose that the processing of mycolic acids begins by transfer of mycolic acids from mycolyl-S-Pks13 to d-mannopyranosyl-1-phosphoheptaprenol to yield 6-O-mycolyl-beta-d-mannopyranosyl-1-phosphoheptaprenol and then to trehalose 6-phosphate to yield phosphorylated trehalose monomycolate (TMM-P). Phosphatase releases the phosphate group to yield TMM, which is immediately transported outside the cell by the ABC transporter. Antigen 85 then catalyzes the transfer of a mycolyl group from TMM to the cell wall arabinogalactan and to other TMMs to produce arabinogalactan-mycolate and trehalose dimycolate, respectively. We list candidate genes in the genome that encode the proposed mycolyltransferases I and II, phosphatase, and ABC transporter. The enzymes within this total pathway are targets for new drug discovery.
authors.affiliation: Mycobacteriology Research Laboratory, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, USA. Kuni.Takayama@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gurdyal S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Besra
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D000217:Acyltransferases; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases