title: Carbohydrate recognition and lysis by bacterial peptidoglycan hydrolases.
abstract: The major component of bacterial cell wall is peptidoglycan (PG), a complex polymer formed by long glycan chains cross-linked by peptide stems. PG is in constant equilibrium requiring well-orchestrated coordination between synthesis and degradation. The resulting cell-wall fragments can be recycled, act as messengers for bacterial communication, as effector molecules in immune response or as signaling molecules triggering antibiotics resistance. Tailoring and recycling of PG requires the cleavage of different covalent bonds of the PG sacculi by a diverse set of specific enzymes whose activities are strictly regulated. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms that govern PG remodeling focusing on the structural information available for the bacterial lytic enzymes and the mechanisms by which they recognize their substrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Inst. Química-Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcorlo
authors.affiliation: Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Inst. Química-Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Siseth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez-Caballero
authors.affiliation: Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Inst. Química-Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Inst. Química-Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: xjuan@iqfr.csic.es.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hermoso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D030562:Databases, Protein; D006801:Humans; D009238:N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D009238:N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase