title: Structure and function of the glycopeptide N-methyltransferase MtfA, a tool for the biosynthesis of modified glycopeptide antibiotics.
abstract: There is a considerable interest in the modification of existing antibiotics to generate new antimicrobials. Glycopeptide antibiotics (GPAs) are effective against serious Gram-positive bacterial pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. However, resistance to these antibiotics is becoming a serious problem requiring new strategies. We show that the Amycolatopsis orientalis (S)-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase MtfA, from the vancomycin-class GPA chloroeremomycin biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes in vivo and in vitro methyl transfer to generate methylated GPA derivatives of the teicoplanin class. The crystal structure of MtfA complexed with (S)-adenosyl-L-methionine, (S)-adenosylhomocysteine, or sinefungin inhibitor, coupled with mutagenesis, identified His228 as a likely general base required for methyl transfer to the N terminus of the glycopeptide. Computational docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to model binding of demethyl-vancomycin aglycone to MtfA. These results demonstrate its utility as a tool for engineering methylated analogs of GPAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montréal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Sherry S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zakeri
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Proteau
authors.forename: Qizhi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Traian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sulea
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matte
authors.forename: Gerard D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Miroslaw
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cygler
mesh_terms: D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000201:enzymology*; D000241:Adenosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017354:Point Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017334:Teicoplanin; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine; D008780:Methyltransferases; C434266:S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent N-methyltransferase; D000241:Adenosine; C006235:sinefungin