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Journal of Bacteriology, March 2007, p. 2521-2530, Vol. 189, No. 6
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.01683-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Genes Required for Glycolipid Synthesis and Lipoteichoic Acid Anchoring in Staphylococcus aureus{triangledown}

Angelika Gründling and Olaf Schneewind*

Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637

Received 31 October 2006/ Accepted 26 December 2006

Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is composed of a linear 1,3-linked polyglycerolphosphate chain and is tethered to the bacterial membrane by a glycolipid (diglucosyl-diacylglycerol [Glc2-DAG]). Glc2-DAG is synthesized in the bacterial cytoplasm by YpfP, a processive enzyme that transfers glucose to diacylglycerol (DAG), using UDP-glucose as its substrate. Here we present evidence that the S. aureus {alpha}-phosphoglucomutase (PgcA) and UTP:{alpha}-glucose 1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GtaB) homologs are required for the synthesis of Glc2-DAG. LtaA (lipoteichoic acid protein A), a predicted membrane permease whose structural gene is located in an operon with ypfP, is not involved in Glc2-DAG synthesis but is required for synthesis of glycolipid-anchored LTA. Our data suggest a model in which LtaA facilitates the transport of Glc2-DAG from the inner (cytoplasmic) leaflet to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, delivering Glc2-DAG as a substrate for LTA synthesis, thereby generating glycolipid-anchored LTA. Glycolipid anchoring of LTA appears to play an important role during infection, as S. aureus variants lacking ltaA display defects in the pathogenesis of animal infections.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Phone: (773) 843-9060. Fax: (773) 834-8150. E-mail: oschnee{at}bsd.uchicago.edu.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 5 January 2007.


Journal of Bacteriology, March 2007, p. 2521-2530, Vol. 189, No. 6
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.01683-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




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