Assembly of the Mycobacterial Cell Wall.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains one of the most successful bacterial pathogens, claiming over 1.3 million lives worldwide in 2013. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant isolates has prompted the need for new drugs and drug targets. M. tuberculosis possesses an unusual cell wall dominated by lipids and carbohydrates that provides a permeability barrier against hydrophilic drugs and is crucial for its survival and virulence. This large macromolecular structure, termed the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex, and the phosphatidyl-myo-inositol-based lipoglycans are key features of the mycobacterial cell wall. Assembly of these cell wall components is an attractive target for the development of chemotherapeutics against tuberculosis. Herein, we focus on recent biochemical and molecular insights into these complex molecules of M. tuberculosis cell wall.
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; email: g.besra@bham.ac.uk.
Monika
M
Jankute
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; email: g.besra@bham.ac.uk.
Jonathan A G
JA
Cox
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; email: g.besra@bham.ac.uk.
James
J
Harrison
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; email: g.besra@bham.ac.uk.
Gurdyal S
GS
Besra
D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005685:Galactans / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry
D005685:Galactans; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial
arabinogalactan; biosynthesis; cell wall; lipoarabinomannan; mycolic acids; peptidoglycan