title: Molecular features of the sortase enzyme family.
abstract: Bacteria possess complex and varying cell walls with many surface exposed proteins. Sortases are responsible for the covalent attachment of specific proteins to the peptidoglycan of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Sortase A of Staphylococcus aureus, which is seen as the archetypal sortase, has been shown to be essential for pathogenesis and has therefore received much attention as a potential target for novel therapeutics. Being widely present in Gram-positive bacteria, it is likely that other Gram-positive pathogens also require sortases for their pathogenesis. Sortases have also been shown to be of significant use in a range of industrial applications. We review current knowledge of the sortase family in terms of their structures, functions and mechanisms and summarize work towards their use as antibacterial targets and microbiological tools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK.|Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Abigail H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK.|Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
authors.forename: April K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
authors.forename: Clifford C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shone
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK.
authors.forename: K Ravi
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Acharya
mesh_terms: D019881:Aminoacyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013045:Species Specificity; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases; C120542:sortase A; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases
keywords: crystal structure; inhibitor design; molecular mechanism; peptide recognition; sortase