title: Metabolic Profiling of Bacteria by Unnatural C-terminated D-Amino Acids.
abstract: Bacterial peptidoglycan is a mesh-like network comprised of sugars and oligopeptides. Transpeptidases cross-link peptidoglycan oligopeptides to provide vital cell wall rigidity and structural support. It was recently discovered that the same transpeptidases catalyze the metabolic incorporation of exogenous D-amino acids onto bacterial cell surfaces with vast promiscuity for the side-chain identity. It is now shown that this enzymatic promiscuity is not exclusive to side chains, but that C-terminus variations can also be accommodated across a diverse range of bacteria. Atomic force microscopy analysis revealed that the incorporation of C-terminus amidated D-amino acids onto bacterial surfaces substantially reduced the cell wall stiffness. We exploited the promiscuity of bacterial transpeptidases to develop a novel assay for profiling different bacterial species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 6 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015 (USA).
authors.forename: Sean E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Pidgeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 6 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015 (USA).
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fura
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 6 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015 (USA).
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 6 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015 (USA).
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birabaharan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 6 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015 (USA).
authors.forename: Dmitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vezenov
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, 6 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015 (USA). map311@lehigh.edu.
authors.forename: Marcos M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pires
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001407:Bacillus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055442:Metabolome; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases
keywords: atomic force microscopy; bacteria; fluorescence assays; penicillin binding proteins; surface labeling