title: High-resolution crystal structure of MltE, an outer membrane-anchored endolytic peptidoglycan lytic transglycosylase from Escherichia coli.
abstract: The crystal structure of the first endolytic peptidoglycan lytic transglycosylase MltE from Escherichia coli is reported here. The degradative activity of this enzyme initiates the process of cell wall recycling, which is an integral event in the existence of bacteria. The structure sheds light on how MltE recognizes its substrate, the cell wall peptidoglycan. It also explains the ability of this endolytic enzyme to cleave in the middle of the peptidoglycan chains. Furthermore, the structure reveals how the enzyme is sequestered on the inner leaflet of the outer membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Artola-Recolons
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrasco-López
authors.forename: Leticia I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Llarrull
authors.forename: Malika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumarasiri
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lastochkin
authors.forename: Iñaki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martínez de Ilarduya
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meindl
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Usón
authors.forename: Shahriar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mobashery
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hermoso
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D055162:Biocatalysis; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D046928:Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D046928:Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase