Oxidative desulfurization pathway for complete catabolism of sulfoquinovose by bacteria.

Catabolism of sulfoquinovose (SQ; 6-deoxy-6-sulfoglucose), the ubiquitous sulfosugar produced by photosynthetic organisms, is an important component of the biogeochemical carbon and sulfur cycles. Here, we describe a pathway for SQ degradation that involves oxidative desulfurization to release sulfite and enable utilization of the entire carbon skeleton of the sugar to support the growth of the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens SQ or its glycoside sulfoquinovosyl glycerol are imported into the cell by an ATP-binding cassette transporter system with an associated SQ binding protein. A sulfoquinovosidase hydrolyzes the SQ glycoside and the liberated SQ is acted on by a flavin mononucleotide-dependent sulfoquinovose monooxygenase, in concert with an NADH-dependent flavin reductase, to release sulfite and 6-oxo-glucose. An NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductase reduces the 6-oxo-glucose to glucose, enabling entry into primary metabolic pathways. Structural and biochemical studies provide detailed insights into the recognition of key metabolites by proteins in this pathway. Bioinformatic analyses reveal that the sulfoquinovose monooxygenase pathway is distributed across Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria and is especially prevalent within the Rhizobiales order. This strategy for SQ catabolism is distinct from previously described pathways because it enables the complete utilization of all carbons within SQ by a single organism with concomitant production of inorganic sulfite.

Yeast- and antibody-based tools for studying tryptophan C-mannosylation.

Tryptophan C-mannosylation is an unusual co-translational protein modification performed by metazoans and apicomplexan protists. The prevalence and biological functions of this modification are poorly understood, with progress in the field hampered by a dearth of convenient tools for installing and detecting the modification. Here, we engineer a yeast system to produce a diverse array of proteins with and without tryptophan C-mannosylation and interrogate the modification's influence on protein stability and function. This system also enabled mutagenesis studies to identify residues of the glycosyltransferase and its protein substrates that are crucial for catalysis. The collection of modified proteins accrued during this work facilitated the generation and thorough characterization of monoclonal antibodies against tryptophan C-mannosylation. These antibodies empowered proteomic analyses of the brain C-glycome by enriching for peptides possessing tryptophan C-mannosylation. This study revealed many new modification sites on proteins throughout the secretory pathway with both conventional and non-canonical consensus sequences.

Structural basis of substrate recognition and catalysis by fucosyltransferase 8.

Fucosylation of the innermost GlcNAc of N-glycans by fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8) is an important step in the maturation of complex and hybrid N-glycans. This simple modification can dramatically affect the activities and half-lives of glycoproteins, effects that are relevant to understanding the invasiveness of some cancers, development of mAb therapeutics, and the etiology of a congenital glycosylation disorder. The acceptor substrate preferences of FUT8 are well-characterized and provide a framework for understanding N-glycan maturation in the Golgi; however, the structural basis of these substrate preferences and the mechanism through which catalysis is achieved remain unknown. Here we describe several structures of mouse and human FUT8 in the apo state and in complex with GDP, a mimic of the donor substrate, and with a glycopeptide acceptor substrate at 1.80-2.50 Å resolution. These structures provide insights into a unique conformational change associated with donor substrate binding, common strategies employed by fucosyltransferases to coordinate GDP, features that define acceptor substrate preferences, and a likely mechanism for enzyme catalysis. Together with molecular dynamics simulations, the structures also revealed how FUT8 dimerization plays an important role in defining the acceptor substrate-binding site. Collectively, this information significantly builds on our understanding of the core fucosylation process.

Polymer Adhesin Domains in Gram-Positive Cell Surface Proteins.

Surface proteins in Gram-positive bacteria are often involved in biofilm formation, host-cell interactions, and surface attachment. Here we review a protein module found in surface proteins that are often encoded on various mobile genetic elements like conjugative plasmids. This module binds to different types of polymers like DNA, lipoteichoic acid and glucans, and is here termed polymer adhesin domain. We analyze all proteins that contain a polymer adhesin domain and classify the proteins into distinct classes based on phylogenetic and protein domain analysis. Protein function and ligand binding show class specificity, information that will be useful in determining the function of the large number of so far uncharacterized proteins containing a polymer adhesin domain.

Enterococcal PrgA Extends Far Outside the Cell and Provides Surface Exclusion to Protect against Unwanted Conjugation.

Horizontal gene transfer between Gram-positive bacteria leads to a rapid spread of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance. This transfer is often facilitated via type 4 secretion systems (T4SS), which frequently are encoded on conjugative plasmids. However, donor cells that already contain a particular conjugative plasmid resist acquisition of a second copy of said plasmid. They utilize different mechanisms, including surface exclusion for this purpose. Enterococcus faecalis PrgA, encoded by the conjugative plasmid pCF10, is a surface protein that has been implicated to play a role in both virulence and surface exclusion, but the mechanism by which this is achieved has not been fully explained. Here, we report the structure of full-length PrgA, which shows that PrgA protrudes far out from the cell wall (approximately 40 nm), where it presents a protease domain. In vivo experiments show that PrgA provides a physical barrier to cellular adhesion, thereby reducing cellular aggregation. This function of PrgA contributes to surface exclusion, reducing the uptake of its cognate plasmid by approximately one order of magnitude. Using variants of PrgA with mutations in the catalytic site we show that the surface exclusion effect is dependent on the activity of the protease domain of PrgA. In silico analysis suggests that PrgA can interact with another enterococcal adhesin, PrgB, and that these two proteins have co-evolved. PrgB is a strong virulence factor, and PrgA is involved in post-translational processing of PrgB. Finally, competition mating experiments show that PrgA provides a significant fitness advantage to plasmid-carrying cells.

Trefoil factors share a lectin activity that defines their role in mucus.

The mucosal epithelium secretes a host of protective disulfide-rich peptides, including the trefoil factors (TFFs). The TFFs increase the viscoelasticity of the mucosa and promote cell migration, though the molecular mechanisms underlying these functions have remained poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that all TFFs are divalent lectins that recognise the GlcNAc-α-1,4-Gal disaccharide, which terminates some mucin-like O-glycans. Degradation of this disaccharide by a glycoside hydrolase abrogates TFF binding to mucins. Structural, mutagenic and biophysical data provide insights into how the TFFs recognise this disaccharide and rationalise their ability to modulate the physical properties of mucus across different pH ranges. These data reveal that TFF activity is dependent on the glycosylation state of mucosal glycoproteins and alludes to a lectin function for trefoil domains in other human proteins.