Requirement of lipid II biosynthesis for cell division in cell wall-less Wolbachia, endobacteria of arthropods and filarial nematodes.

Vollmer, Jennifer, Schiefer, Andrea, Schneider, Tanja, Jülicher, Karen, Johnston, Kelly, Taylor, Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3396-9275, Sahl, Hans-Georg, Hoerauf, Achim and Pfarr, Kenneth (2013) 'Requirement of lipid II biosynthesis for cell division in cell wall-less Wolbachia, endobacteria of arthropods and filarial nematodes.'. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 303, Issue 3, pp. 140-149.

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Abstract

Obligate Wolbachia endobacteria have a reduced genome and retained genes are hypothesized to be crucial for survival. Although intracellular bacteria do not need a stress-bearing peptidoglycan cell wall, Wolbachia encode proteins necessary to synthesize the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II. The activity of the enzymes catalyzing the last two steps of this pathway was previously shown, and Wolbachia are sensitive to inhibition of lipid II synthesis. A puzzling characteristic of Wolbachia is the lack of genes for l-amino acid racemases essential for lipid II synthesis. Transcription analysis showed the expression of a possible alternative racemase metC, and recombinant Wolbachia MetC indeed had racemase activity that may substitute for the absent l-Ala racemase. However, enzymes needed to form mature peptidoglycan are absent and the function of Wolbachia lipid II is unknown. Inhibition of lipid II biosynthesis resulted in enlargement of Wolbachia cells and redistribution of Wolbachia peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein, demonstrating that lipid II is required for coordinated cell division and may interact with the lipoprotein. We conclude that lipid II is essential for Wolbachia cell division and that this function is potentially conserved in the Gram-negative bacteria.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	QU Biochemistry > Cells and Genetics > QU 350 Cellular structures QU Biochemistry > Carbohydrates. Lipids > QU 85 Lipids QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 203 Nematoda QX Parasitology > Arthropods > QX 460 Arthropods
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2013.01.002
Depositing User:	Mary Creegan
Date Deposited:	12 Aug 2014 08:47
Last Modified:	16 Sep 2019 09:01
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/3839

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