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C R Raetz

Publications and source records attributed to C R Raetz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Lipid A modifications characteristic of Salmonella typhimurium are induced by NH4VO3 in Escherichia coli K12. Detection of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose, phosphoethanolamine and palmitate.

Two-thirds of the lipid A in wild-type Escherichia coli K12 is a hexa-acylated disaccharide of glucosamine in which monophosphate groups are attached at positions 1 and 4'. The remaining lipid A contains a monophosphate substituent at position 4' and a pyrophosphate moiety at position 1. The biosynthesis of the 1-pyrophosphate unit is unknown. Its presence is associated with lipid A translocation to the outer membrane (Zhou, Z., White, K. A., Polissi, A., Georgopoulos, C., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 12466-12475). To determine if a phosphatase regulates the amount of the lipid A 1-pyrophosphate, we grew cells in broth containing nonspecific phosphatase inhibitors. Na2WO4 and sodium fluoride increased the relative amount of the 1-pyrophosphate slightly. Remarkably, NH4VO3-treated cells generated almost no 1-pyrophosphate, but made six major new lipid A derivatives (EV1 to EV6). Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry of purified EV1 to EV6 indicated that these compounds were lipid A species substituted singly or in combination with palmitoyl, phosphoethanolamine, and/or aminodeoxypentose residues. The aminodeoxypentose residue was released by incubation in chloroform/methanol (4:1, v/v) at 25 degrees C, and was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The chemical shifts and vicinal coupling constants of the two anomers of the aminodeoxypentose released from EV3 closely resembled those of synthetic 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose. NH4VO3-induced lipid A modification did not require the PhoP/PhoQ two-component regulatory system, and also occurred in E. coli msbB or htrB mutants. The lipid A variants that accumulate in NH4VO3-treated E. coli K12 are the same as many of those normally found in untreated Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella minnesota, demonstrating that E. coli K12 has latent enzyme systems for synthesizing these important derivatives.

Amino Sugars↗
PubMed1999

A phosphotransferase that generates phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns-4-P) from phosphatidylinositol and lipid A in Rhizobium leguminosarum. A membrane-bound enzyme linking lipid a and ptdins-4-p biosynthesis.

Membranes of Rhizobium leguminosarum contain a 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo)-activated lipid A 4'-phosphatase required for generating the unusual phosphate-deficient lipid A found in this organism. The enzyme has been solubilized with Triton X-100 and purified 80-fold. As shown by co-purification and thermal inactivation studies, the 4'-phosphatase catalyzes not only the hydrolysis of (Kdo)2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA but also the transfer the 4'-phosphate of Kdo2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA to the inositol headgroup of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) to generate PtdIns-4-P. Like the 4'-phosphatase, the phosphotransferase activity is not present in Escherichia coli, Rhizobium meliloti, or the nodulation-defective mutant 24AR of R. leguminosarum. The specific activity for the phosphotransferase reaction is about 2 times higher than that of the 4'-phosphatase. The phosphotransferase assay conditions are similar to those used for PtdIns kinases, except that ATP and Mg2+ are omitted. The apparent Km for PtdIns is approximately 500 microM versus 20-100 microM for most PtdIns kinases, but the phosphotransferase specific activity in crude cell extracts is higher than that of most PtdIns kinases. The phosphotransferase is absolutely specific for the 4-position of PtdIns and is highly selective for PtdIns as the acceptor. The 4'-phosphatase/phosphotransferase can be eluted from heparin- or Cibacron blue-agarose with PtdIns. A phosphoenzyme intermediate may account for the dual function of this enzyme, since a single 32P-labeled protein species (Mr approximately 68,000) can be trapped and visualized by SDS gel electrophoresis of enzyme preparations incubated with Kdo2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA. Although PtdIns is not detected in cultures of R. leguminosarum/etli (CE3), PtdIns may be synthesized during nodulation or supplied by plant membranes, given that soybean PtdIns is an excellent phosphate acceptor. A bacterial enzyme for generating PtdIns-4-P and a direct link between lipid A and PtdIns-4-P biosynthesis have not been reported previously.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1999

A deacylase in Rhizobium leguminosarum membranes that cleaves the 3-O-linked beta-hydroxymyristoyl moiety of lipid A precursors.

Lipid A from the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum displays many structural differences compared with lipid A of Escherichia coli. R. leguminosarum lipid A lacks the usual 1- and 4'-phosphate groups but is derivatized with a galacturonic acid substituent at position 4'. R. leguminosarum lipid A often contains an aminogluconic acid moiety in place of the proximal glucosamine 1-phosphate unit. Striking differences also exist in the secondary acyl chains attached to E. coli versus R. leguminosarum lipid A, specifically the presence of 27-hydroxyoctacosanoate and the absence of laurate and myristate in R. leguminosarum. Recently, we have found that lipid A isolated by pH 4.5 hydrolysis of R. leguminosarum cells is more heterogeneous than previously reported (Que, N. L. S., Basu, S. S., White, K. A., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1998) FASEB J. 12, A1284 (abstr.)). Lipid A species lacking the 3-O-linked beta-hydroxymyristoyl residue on the proximal unit contribute to this heterogeneity. We now describe a membrane-bound deacylase from R. leguminosarum that removes a single ester-linked beta-hydroxymyristoyl moiety from some lipid A precursors, including lipid X, lipid IVA, and (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid)2-lipid IVA. The enzyme does not cleave E. coli lipid A or lipid A precursors containing an acyloxyacyl moiety on the distal glucosamine unit. The enzyme is not present in extracts of E. coli or Rhizobium meliloti, but it is readily demonstrable in membranes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which also contains a significant proportion of 3-O-deacylated lipid A species. Optimal reaction rates are seen between pH 5.5 and 6.5. The enzyme requires a nonionic detergent and divalent metal ions for activity. It cleaves the monosaccharide lipid X at about 5% the rate of lipid IVA and (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid)2-lipid IVA. 1H NMR spectroscopy of the deacylase reaction product, generated with lipid IVA as the substrate, confirms unequivocally that the enzyme cleaves only the ester-linked beta-hydroxymyristoyl residue at the 3-position of the glucosamine disaccharide.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Effect of cold shock on lipid A biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Induction At 12 degrees C of an acyltransferase specific for palmitoleoyl-acyl carrier protein.

Palmitoleate is not present in lipid A isolated from Escherichia coli grown at 30 degrees C or higher, but it comprises approximately 11% of the fatty acyl chains of lipid A in cells grown at 12 degrees C. The appearance of palmitoleate at 12 degrees C is accompanied by a decline in laurate from approximately 18% to approximately 5.5%. We now report that wild-type E. coli shifted from 30 degrees C to 12 degrees C acquire a novel palmitoleoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP)-dependent acyltransferase that acts on the key lipid A precursor Kdo2-lipid IVA. The palmitoleoyl transferase is induced more than 30-fold upon cold shock, as judged by assaying extracts of cells shifted to 12 degrees C. The induced activity is maximal after 2 h of cold shock, and then gradually declines but does not disappear. Strains harboring an insertion mutation in the lpxL(htrB) gene, which encodes the enzyme that normally transfers laurate from lauroyl-ACP to Kdo2-lipid IVA (Clementz, T., Bednarski, J. J., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 12095-12102) are not defective in the cold-induced palmitoleoyl transferase. Recently, a gene displaying 54% identity and 73% similarity at the protein level to lpxL was found in the genome of E. coli. This lpxL homologue, designated lpxP, encodes the cold shock-induced palmitoleoyl transferase. Extracts of cells containing lpxP on the multicopy plasmid pSK57 exhibit a 10-fold increase in the specific activity of the cold-induced palmitoleoyl transferase compared with cells lacking the plasmid. The elevated specific activity of the palmitoleoyl transferase under conditions of cold shock is attributed to greatly increased levels of lpxP mRNA. The replacement of laurate with palmitoleate in lipid A may reflect the desirability of maintaining the optimal outer membrane fluidity at 12 degrees C.

Acyl Carrier Protein↗
PubMed1999

Signal transduction triggered by lipid A-like molecules in 70Z/3 pre-B lymphocyte tumor cells.

The lipid A (endotoxin) moiety of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elicits rapid cellular responses from many cell types, including macrophages, lymphocytes, and monocytes. In CD14 transfected 70Z/3 pre-B lymphocyte tumor cells, these responses include activation of the MAP kinase homolog, p38, activation of NF-kappaB, and transcription of kappa light chains, leading to the assembly of surface IgM. In this work, we explored the specificity of the response with regard to lipid structure, and the requirement for p38 kinase activity prior to NF-kappaB activation in control and CD14 transfected 70Z/3 (CD14-70Z/3) cells. A p38-specific inhibitor, SB203580, was used to block p38 kinase activity in cells. CD14-70Z/3 cells were incubated with 1-50 microM SB203580, and then stimulated with LPS. Nuclear extracts were prepared, and NF-kappaB activation was measured using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. SB203580 did not inhibit LPS induced NF-kappaB activation. In addition, LPS failed to activate p38 tyrosine phosphorylation in 70Z/3 cells lacking CD14, in spite of rapid NF-kappaB activation and robust surface IgM production with appropriate higher doses of LPS. LPS stimulation of p38 phosphorylation, NF-kappaB activation, and surface IgM expression were all blocked completely by lipid A-like endotoxin antagonists whether or not CD14 was present. Acidic glycerophospholipids and ceramides did not mimic lipid A-like molecules either as agonists or antagonists in this system. Our data support the hypothesis that lipid A-mediated activation of cells requires stimulation of a putative lipid A sensor that is downstream of CD14, but upstream of p38 and NF-kappaB.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase of Escherichia coli is a zinc metalloenzyme.

The enzyme UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-GlcNAc deacetylase (LpxC) catalyzes the committed step in the biosynthesis of lipid A and is therefore a potential antibiotic target. Inhibition of this enzyme by hydroxamate compounds [Onishi, H. R.; Pelak, B. A.; Gerckens, L. S.; Silver, L. L.; Kahan, F. M.; Chen, M. H.; Patchett, A. A.; Stachula, S. S.; Anderson, M. S.; Raetz, C. R. H. (1996) Science 274, 980-982] suggested the presence of a metal ion cofactor. We have investigated the substrate specificity and metal dependence of the deacetylase using spectroscopic and kinetic analyses. Comparison of the steady-state kinetic parameters for the physiological substrate UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-GlcNAc and an alternative substrate, UDP-GlcNAc, demonstrates that the ester-linked R-3-hydroxymyristoyl chain increases kcat/KM (5 x 10(6))-fold. Metal-chelating reagents, such as dipicolinic acid (DPA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, completely inhibit LpxC activity, implicating an essential metal ion. Plasma emission spectroscopy and colorimetric assays directly demonstrate that purified LpxC contains bound Zn2+. This Zn2+ can be removed by incubation with DPA, causing a decrease in the LpxC activity that can be restored by subsequent addition of Zn2+. However, high concentrations of Zn2+ also inhibit LpxC. Addition of Co2+, Ni2+, or Mn2+ to apo-LpxC also activates the enzyme to varying degrees while no additional activity is observed upon the addition of Cd2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, or Cu2+. This is consistent with the profile of metals that substitute for catalytic zinc ions in metalloproteinases. Co2+ ions stimulate LpxC activity maximally at a stoichiometry of 1:1. These data demonstrate that E. coli LpxC is a metalloenzyme that requires bound Zn2+ for optimal activity.

Amidohydrolases↗
PubMed1999

Carbohydroxamido-oxazolidines: antibacterial agents that target lipid A biosynthesis.

A series of carbohydroxamido-oxazolidine inhibitors of UDP-3-O-[R-3-hydroxymyristoyl]-GlcNAc deacetylase, the enzyme responsible for the second step in lipid A biosynthesis, was identified. The most potent analog L-161,240 showed an IC50 = 30 nM in the DEACET assay and displayed an MIC of 1-3 microg/mL against wild-type E. coli.

Amidohydrolases↗
PubMed1999

Balanced biosynthesis of major membrane components through regulated degradation of the committed enzyme of lipid A biosynthesis by the AAA protease FtsH (HflB) in Escherichia coli.

The suppressor mutation, named sfhC21, that allows Escherichia coli ftsH null mutant cells to survive was found to be an allele of fabZ encoding R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydrase, involved in a key step of fatty acid biosynthesis, and appears to upregulate the dehydrase. The ftsH1(Ts) mutation increased the amount of lipopolysaccharide at 42 degrees C. This was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the amount of UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase [the IpxC (envA) gene product] involved in the committed step of lipid A biosynthesis. Pulse-chase experiments and in vitro assays with purified components showed that FtsH, the AAA-type membrane-bound metalloprotease, degrades the deacetylase. Genetic evidence also indicated that the FtsH protease activity for the deacetylase might be affected when acyl-ACP pools were altered. The biosynthesis of phospholipids and the lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharide, both of which derive their fatty acyl chains from the same R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP pool, is regulated by FtsH.

ATP-Dependent Proteases↗
PubMed1999

Bordetella pertussis waaA encodes a monofunctional 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid transferase that can complement an Escherichia coli waaA mutation.

Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contains a single 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) residue, whereas LPS from Escherichia coli contains at least two. Here we report that B. pertussis waaA encodes an enzyme capable of transferring only a single Kdo during the biosynthesis of LPS and that this activity is sufficient to complement an E. coli waaA mutation.

Bordetella pertussis↗
PubMed1998

Hydrocarbon rulers in UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferases.

UDP-GlcNAc acyltransferase (LpxA), the first enzyme of lipid A biosynthesis, catalyzes the transfer of an acyl chain activated on acyl carrier protein (ACP) to UDP-GlcNAc. LpxAs are very selective for the lengths of their acyl donor substrates. Escherichia coli LpxA prefers R-3-hydroxymyristoyl-ACP to R-3-hydroxydecanoyl-ACP by a factor of approximately 1000, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa LpxA prefers the opposite. E. coli G173M LpxA and the reciprocal P. aeruginosa M169G LpxA show reversed substrate selectivity in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating the existence of precise hydrocarbon rulers in LpxAs.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1998

Cloning and overexpression of glycosyltransferases that generate the lipopolysaccharide core of Rhizobium leguminosarum.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core of the Gram-negative bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum is more amenable to enzymatic study than that of Escherichia coli because much of it is synthesized from readily available sugar nucleotides. The inner portion of the R. leguminosarum core contains mannose, galactose, and three 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate (Kdo) residues, arranged in the order: lipid A-(Kdo)2-Man-Gal-Kdo-[O antigen]. A mannosyltransferase that uses GDP-mannose and the conserved precursor Kdo2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA (Kadrmas, J. L., Brozek, K. A., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 32119-32125) is proposed to represent a key early enzyme in R. leguminosarum core assembly. Conditions for demonstrating efficient galactosyl- and distal Kdo-transferase activities are now described using a coupled assay system that starts with GDP-mannose and Kdo2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA. As predicted, mannose incorporation precedes galactose addition, which in turn precedes distal Kdo transfer. LPS core mutants with Tn5 insertions in the genes encoding the putative galactosyltransferase (lpcA) and the distal Kdo-transferase (lpcB) are shown to be defective in the corresponding in vitro glycosylation of Kdo2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA. We have also discovered the new gene (lpcC) that encodes the mannosyltransferase. The gene is separated by several kilobase pairs from the lpcAB cluster. All three glycosyltransferases are carried on cosmid pIJ1848, which contains at least 20 kilobase pairs of R. leguminosarum DNA. Transfer of pIJ1848 into R. meliloti 1021 results in heterologous expression of all three enzymes, which are not normally present in strain 1021. Expression of the lpc genes individually behind the T7 promoter results in the production of each R. leguminosarum glycosyltransferase in E. coli membranes in a catalytically active form, demonstrating that lpcA, lpcB, and lpcC are structural genes.

Bacteriophage T7↗
PubMed1998

Accumulation of a lipid A precursor lacking the 4'-phosphate following inactivation of the Escherichia coli lpxK gene.

The lpxK gene has been proposed to encode the lipid A 4'-kinase in Escherichia coli (Garrett, T. A., Kadrmas, J. L., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 21855-21864). In cell extracts, the kinase phosphorylates the 4'-position of a tetraacyldisaccharide 1-phosphate precursor (DS-1-P) of lipid A, but the enzyme has not yet been purified because of instability. lpxK is co-transcribed with an essential upstream gene, msbA, with strong homology to mammalian Mdr proteins and ABC transporters. msbA may be involved in the transport of newly made lipid A from the inner surface of the inner membrane to the outer membrane. Insertion of an Omega-chloramphenicol cassette into msbA also halts transcription of lpxK. We have now constructed a strain in which only the lpxK gene is inactivated by inserting a kanamycin cassette into the chromosomal copy of lpxK. This mutation is complemented at 30 degreesC by a hybrid plasmid with a temperature-sensitive origin of replication carrying lpxK+. When this strain (designated TG1/pTAG1) is grown at 44 degreesC, the plasmid bearing the lpxK+ is lost, and the phenotype of an lpxK knock-out mutation is unmasked. The growth of TG1/pTAG1 was inhibited after several hours at 44 degreesC, consistent with lpxK being an essential gene. Furthermore, 4'-kinase activity in extracts made from these cells was barely detectable. In accordance with the proposed biosynthetic pathway for lipid A, DS-1-P (the 4'-kinase substrate) accumulated in TG1/pTAG1 cells grown at 44 degreesC. The DS-1-P from TG1/pTAG1 was isolated, and its structure was verified by 1H NMR spectroscopy. DS-1-P had not been isolated previously from bacterial cells. Its accumulation in TG1/pTAG1 provides additional support for the pathway of lipid A biosynthesis in E. coli. Homologs of lpxK are present in the genomes of other Gram-negative bacteria.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Function of Escherichia coli MsbA, an essential ABC family transporter, in lipid A and phospholipid biosynthesis.

The Escherichia coli msbA gene, first identified as a multicopy suppressor of htrB mutations, has been proposed to transport nascent core-lipid A molecules across the inner membrane (Polissi, A., and Georgopoulos, C. (1996) Mol. Microbiol. 20, 1221-1233). msbA is an essential E. coli gene with high sequence similarity to mammalian Mdr proteins and certain types of bacterial ABC transporters. htrB is required for growth above 32 degreesC and encodes the lauroyltransferase that acts after Kdo addition during lipid A biosynthesis (Clementz, T., Bednarski, J., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 12095-12102). By using a quantitative new 32Pi labeling technique, we demonstrate that hexa-acylated species of lipid A predominate in the outer membranes of wild type E. coli labeled for several generations at 42 degreesC. In contrast, in htrB mutants shifted to 42 degreesC for 3 h, tetra-acylated lipid A species and glycerophospholipids accumulate in the inner membrane. Extra copies of the cloned msbA gene restore the ability of htrB mutants to grow at 42 degreesC, but they do not increase the extent of lipid A acylation. However, a significant fraction of the tetra-acylated lipid A species that accumulate in htrB mutants are transported to the outer membrane in the presence of extra copies of msbA. E. coli strains in which msbA synthesis is selectively shut off at 42 degreesC accumulate hexa-acylated lipid A and glycerophospholipids in their inner membranes. Our results support the view that MsbA plays a role in lipid A and possibly glycerophospholipid transport. The tetra-acylated lipid A precursors that accumulate in htrB mutants may not be transported as efficiently by MsbA as are penta- or hexa-acylated lipid A species.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed1998

Enzymatic synthesis of lipopolysaccharide in Escherichia coli. Purification and properties of heptosyltransferase i.

Heptosyltransferase I, encoded by the rfaC(waaC) gene of Escherichia coli, is thought to add L-glycero-D-manno-heptose to the inner 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) residue of the lipopolysaccharide core. Lipopolysaccharide isolated from mutants defective in rfaC lack heptose and all other sugars distal to heptose. The putative donor, ADP-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, has never been fully characterized and is not readily available. In cell extracts, the analog ADP-mannose can serve as an alternative donor for RfaC-catalyzed glycosylation of the acceptor, Kdo2-lipid IVA. Using a T7 promoter construct that overexpresses RfaC approximately 15,000-fold, the enzyme has been purified to near homogeneity. NH2-terminal sequencing confirms that the purified enzyme is the rfaC gene product. The subunit molecular mass is 36 kDa. Enzymatic activity is dependent upon the presence of Triton X-100 and is maximal at pH 7.5. The apparent Km (determined at near saturating concentrations of the second substrate) is 1.5 mM for ADP-mannose and 4.5 microM for Kdo2-lipid IVA. Chemical hydrolysis of the RfaC reaction product at 100 degrees C in the presence of sodium acetate and 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate generates fragments consistent with the inner Kdo residue of Kdo2-lipid IVA as the site of mannosylation. The analog, Kdo-lipid IVA, functions as an acceptor, but is mannosylated at less than 1% the rate of Kdo2-lipid IVA. The purified enzyme displays no activity with ADP-glucose, GDP-mannose, UDP-glucose, or UDP-galactose. Mannosylation of Kdo2-lipid IVA catalyzed by RfaC proceeds in high yield and may be useful for the synthesis of lipopolysaccharide analogs. Pure RfaC can also be used together with Kdo2-[4'-32P]lipid IVA to assay for the physiological donor (presumably ADP-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose) in a crude, low molecular weight fraction isolated from wild type cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents that target endotoxin.

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are a major clinical problem. Lipid A, the active part of lipopolysaccharide endotoxins in Gram-negative bacteria, is an intriguing target for new antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents. Inhibition of lipid A biosynthesis kills most Gram-negative bacteria, increases bacterial permeability to antibiotics and decreases endotoxin production.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Expression cloning of a Pseudomonas gene encoding a hydroxydecanoyl-acyl carrier protein-dependent UDP-GlcNAc acyltransferase.

UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-3-O-acyltransferase (UDP-GlcNAc acyltransferase) catalyzes the first step of lipid A biosynthesis (M. S. Anderson and C. R. H. Raetz, J. Biol. Chem. 262:5159-5169, 1987). We here report the isolation of the lpxA gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a library of Pseudomonas strain PAO1 expressed in Escherichia coli LE392 (J. Lightfoot and J. S. Lam, J. Bacteriol. 173:5624-5630, 1991). Pseudomonas lpxA encodes a 10-carbon-specific UDP-GlcNAc acyltransferase, whereas the E. coli transferase is selective for a 14-carbon acyl chain. Recombinant cosmid 1137 enabled production of a 3-hydroxydecanoyl-specific UDP-GlcNAc acyltransferase in E. coli. It was identified by assaying lysozyme-EDTA lysates of individual members of the library with 3-hydroxydecanoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) as the substrate. Cosmid 1137 contained a 20-kb insert of P. aeruginosa DNA. The lpxA gene region was localized to a 1.3-kb SalI-PstI fragment. Sequencing revealed that it contains one complete open reading frame (777 bp) encoding a new lpxA homolog. The predicted Pseudomonas LpxA is 258 amino acids long and contains 21 complete hexapeptide repeating units, spaced in approximately the same manner as the 24 repeats of E. coli LpxA. The P. aeruginosa UDP-GlcNAc acyltransferase is 54% identical and 67% similar to the E. coli enzyme. A plasmid (pGD3) containing the 1.3-kb SalI-PstI fragment complemented E. coli RO138, a temperature-sensitive mutant harboring lpxA2. LpxA assays of extracts of this construct indicated that it is > 1,000-fold more selective for 3-hydroxydecanoyl-ACP than for 3-hydroxymyristoyl-ACP. Mass spectrometry of lipid A isolated from this strain by hydrolysis at pH 4.5 revealed [M-H]- 1,684.5 (versus 1,796.5 for wild-type lipid A), consistent with 3-hydroxydecanoate rather than 3-hydroxymyristate at positions 3 and 3'.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1997

Identification of the gene encoding the Escherichia coli lipid A 4'-kinase. Facile phosphorylation of endotoxin analogs with recombinant LpxK.

The genes for seven of nine enzymes needed for the biosynthesis of Kdo2-lipid A (Re endotoxin) in Escherichia coli have been reported. We have now identified a novel gene encoding the lipid A 4'-kinase (the sixth step of the pathway). The 4'-kinase transfers the gamma-phosphate of ATP to the 4'-position of a tetraacyldisaccharide 1-phosphate intermediate (termed DS-1-P) to form tetraacyldisaccharide 1,4'-bis-phosphate (lipid IVA). The 4'-phosphate is required for the action of distal enzymes, such as Kdo transferase and also renders lipid A substructures active as endotoxin antagonists or mimetics. Lysates of E. coli generated using individual lambda clones from the ordered Kohara library were assayed for overproduction of 4'-kinase. Only one clone, [218]E1D1, which directed 2-2.5-fold overproduction, was identified. This construct contains 20 kilobase pairs of E. coli DNA from the vicinity of minute 21. Two genes related to the lipid A system map in this region: msbA, encoding a putative translocator, and kdsB, the structural gene for CMP-Kdo synthase. msbA forms an operon with a downstream, essential open reading frame of unknown function, designated orfE. orfE was cloned into a T7 expression system. Washed membranes from cells overexpressing orfE display approximately 2000-fold higher specific activity of 4'-kinase than membranes from cells with vector alone. Membranes containing recombinant, overexpressed 4'-kinase (but not membranes with wild-type kinase levels) efficiently phosphorylate three DS-1-P analogs: 3-aza-DS-1-P, base-treated DS-1-P, and base-treated 3-aza-DS-1-P. A synthetic hexaacylated DS-1-P analog, compound 505, can also be phosphorylated by membranes from the overproducer, yielding [4'-32P] lipid A (endotoxin). The overexpressed lipid A 4'-kinase is very useful for making new 4'-phosphorylated lipid A analogs with potential utility as endotoxin mimetics or antagonists. We suggest that orfE is the structural gene for the 4'-kinase and that it be redesignated lpxK.

Bacterial Proteins↗