Influence of Alanine Ester and Glycosyl Substitution on the Lip0 teichoic Acid Carrier Activity
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چکیده
Native lipoteichoid acids from Staphylococcus aureus with D-alanine ester/phosphate molar ratios between 0.23 and 0.73 were tested for lipoteichoic acid carrier activity with poly(ribito1 phosphate) polymerase from Staphylococcus aureus H. Lipoteichoic acid with an alanine/phosphorus ratio greater than 0.7 was inactive. With decreasing substitution, lipoteichoic acid carrier activity appeared and increased in a nonlinear fashion. The ability of the lipoteichoic acids to function as carriers was dependent on an unsubstituted terminal penta(g1ycerophosphate). A single alanyl residue, anywhere on this sequence, was apparently sufficient to prevent binding to the enzyme. When alanyl residues were chemically converted to uncharged lactyl or Nacetylalanyl derivatives, this inhibition of binding was relieved and activity required only a single unsubstituted terminal glycerol residue. Glycosyl residues of streptococcal lipoteichoic acids showed a behavior intermediate between that of alanyl residues and their uncharged derivatives. We propose that binding of lipoteichoic acid carrier to the enzyme requires four negatively charged terminal phosphate groups, that alanyl residues interfere with binding through charge compensation and glycosyl residues by steric hindrance, and that substitution of the terminal glycerol residue blocks assembly of poly(ribito1 phosphate). The significance of these findings for the in vivo synthesis of teichoic acid is discussed.
منابع مشابه
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