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Crystal structure of MraY, an essential membrane enzyme for bacterial cell wall synthesis

Publication ,  Journal Article
Chung, BC; Zhao, J; Gillespie, RA; Kwon, DY; Guan, Z; Hong, J; Zhou, P; Lee, SY
Published in: Science
2013

MraY (phospho-MurNAc-pentapeptide translocase) is an integral membrane enzyme that catalyzes an essential step of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis: the transfer of the peptidoglycan precursor phospho-MurNAc-pentapeptide to the lipid carrier undecaprenyl phosphate. MraY has long been considered a promising target for the development of antibiotics, but the lack of a structure has hindered mechanistic understanding of this critical enzyme and the enzyme superfamily in general. The superfamily includes enzymes involved in bacterial lipopolysaccharide/teichoic acid formation and eukaryotic N-linked glycosylation, modifications that are central in many biological processes. We present the crystal structure of MraY from Aquifex aeolicus (MraYAA) at 3.3 Å resolution, which allows us to visualize the overall architecture, locate Mg2+ within the active site, and provide a structural basis of catalysis for this class of enzyme.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Science

DOI

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

2013

Volume

341

Issue

6149

Start / End Page

1012 / 1016

Related Subject Headings

  • General Science & Technology
 

Citation

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Chung, B. C., Zhao, J., Gillespie, R. A., Kwon, D. Y., Guan, Z., Hong, J., … Lee, S. Y. (2013). Crystal structure of MraY, an essential membrane enzyme for bacterial cell wall synthesis. Science, 341(6149), 1012–1016. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1240985
Chung, B. C., J. Zhao, R. A. Gillespie, D. Y. Kwon, Z. Guan, J. Hong, P. Zhou, and S. Y. Lee. “Crystal structure of MraY, an essential membrane enzyme for bacterial cell wall synthesis.” Science 341, no. 6149 (2013): 1012–16. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1240985.
Chung BC, Zhao J, Gillespie RA, Kwon DY, Guan Z, Hong J, et al. Crystal structure of MraY, an essential membrane enzyme for bacterial cell wall synthesis. Science. 2013;341(6149):1012–6.
Chung, B. C., et al. “Crystal structure of MraY, an essential membrane enzyme for bacterial cell wall synthesis.” Science, vol. 341, no. 6149, 2013, pp. 1012–16. Scival, doi:10.1126/science.1240985.
Chung BC, Zhao J, Gillespie RA, Kwon DY, Guan Z, Hong J, Zhou P, Lee SY. Crystal structure of MraY, an essential membrane enzyme for bacterial cell wall synthesis. Science. 2013;341(6149):1012–1016.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science

DOI

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

2013

Volume

341

Issue

6149

Start / End Page

1012 / 1016

Related Subject Headings

  • General Science & Technology