Crystal structures of UDP‐N‐acetylmuramic acid l‐alanine ligase (MurC) from Mycobacterium bovis with and without UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine. Issue 5 (5th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Seo, Pil-Won; Park, Suk-Youl; Hofmann, Andreas; Kim, Jeong-Sun
• Is Part Of: Acta crystallographica. Volume 77:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 618
• Page End: 627
• Publication Date: 2021-05-05
• Subjects: MurC -- N‐acetylglucosamine -- N‐acetylmuramic acid -- peptidoglycan; X-ray crystallography -- Periodicals; Crystallography -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Molecular structure -- Periodicals; Biomolecules -- Structure -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Biomolecules -- Structure; Crystallography; Cytology; Molecular biology; Molecular structure; X-ray crystallography; Periodicals; 548
• DOI: 10.1107/S2059798321002199
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2059-7983

Abstract

Abstract : M. bovis MurC binds UDP‐ N ‐acetylglucosamine, the substrate of MurA, and the crystal structure of the complex was determined. Abstract : Peptidoglycan comprises repeating units of N ‐acetylmuramic acid, N ‐acetylglucosamine and short cross‐linking peptides. After the conversion of UDP‐ N ‐acetylglucosamine (UNAG) to UDP‐ N ‐acetylmuramic acid (UNAM) by the MurA and MurB enzymes, an amino acid is added to UNAM by UDP‐ N ‐acetylmuramic acid l ‐alanine ligase (MurC). As peptidoglycan is an essential component of the bacterial cell wall, the enzymes involved in its biosynthesis represent promising targets for the development of novel antibacterial drugs. Here, the crystal structure of Mycobacterium bovis MurC ( Mb MurC) is reported, which exhibits a three‐domain architecture for the binding of UNAM, ATP and an amino acid as substrates, with a nickel ion at the domain interface. The ATP‐binding loop adopts a conformation that is not seen in other MurCs. In the UNAG‐bound structure of Mb MurC, the substrate mimic interacts with the UDP‐binding domain of Mb MurC, which does not invoke rearrangement of the three domains. Interestingly, the glycine‐rich loop of the UDP‐binding domain of Mb MurC interacts through hydrogen bonds with the glucose moiety of the ligand, but not with the pyrophosphate moiety. These findings suggest that UNAG analogs might serve as potential candidates for neutralizing the catalytic activity of bacterial MurC.