title: The LptA protein of Escherichia coli is a periplasmic lipid A-binding protein involved in the lipopolysaccharide export pathway.
abstract: The LptA protein of Escherichia coli has been implicated in the transport of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the inner membrane to the outer membrane. Here we provide evidence that LptA binds structurally diverse LPS substrates in vitro and demonstrate that it interacts specifically with the lipid A domain of LPS. These results are consistent with LptA playing a chaperone role in the transport of LPS across the periplasm and have implications for possible assembly models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: An X
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: M Stephen
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Trent
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008050:Lipid A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D012995:Solubility; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D008050:Lipid A; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; C483858:phosphatidylethanolamine; D000217:Acyltransferases; C050304:acyl-(acyl-carrier-protein)-UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase