A novel xylosylphosphotransferase activity discovered in Cryptococcus neoformans.
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes serious disease in immunocompromised individuals. The organism produces a distinctive polysaccharide capsule that is necessary for its virulence, a predominantly polysaccharide cell wall, and a variety of protein- and lipid-linked glycans. The glycan synthetic pathways of this pathogen are of great interest. Here we report the detection of a novel glycosylphosphotransferase activity in C. neoformans, identification of the corresponding gene, and characterization of the encoded protein. The observed activity is specific for UDP-xylose as a donor and for mannose acceptors and forms a xylose-alpha-1-phosphate-6-mannose linkage. This is the first report of a xylosylphosphotransferase activity in any system.
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
Morgann C
MC
Reilly
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
Steven B
SB
Levery
Department of Chemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.
Sherry A
SA
Castle
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa 52246.
J Stacey
JS
Klutts
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. Electronic address: doering@wustl.edu.
Tamara L
TL
Doering
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008358:Mannose / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014530:Uridine Diphosphate / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014994:Xylose / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014530:Uridine Diphosphate; D014994:Xylose; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); D008358:Mannose