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Biomedical subjects

D A Gage

Publications and source records attributed to D A Gage.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Evidence implicating dimethylsulfoniopropionaldehyde as an intermediate in dimethylsulfoniopropionate biosynthesis.

3-Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an osmoprotectant accumulated by certain flowering plants and algae. In Wollastonia biflora (L.) DC. (Compositae) the first intermediate in DMSP biosynthesis has been shown to be S-methylmethionine (SMM) (A.D. Hanson, J. Rivoal, L. Paquet, D.A. Gage [1994] Plant Physiol 105: 103-110). Other possible intermediates were investigated by radiolabeling methods using W. biflora leaf discs. In pulse-chase experiments with [35S]SMM, 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionaldehyde (DMSP-ald) acquired label rapidly and lost it during the chase period. Conversely, 3-dimethylsulfoniopropylamine (DMSP-amine), 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionamide (DMSP-amide), and 4-dimethylsulfonio-2-hydroxybutyrate (DMSHB) labeled slowly and continuously during both pulse and chase. When unlabeled compounds were supplied along with [35S]SMM, DMSP-ald promoted [35S]DMSP-ald accumulation but DMSHB, DMSP-amide, and DMSP-amine had no such trapping effect. These data indicate that DMSP-ald is an intermediate in DMSP biosynthesis and that the other three compounds are not. Consistent with this, [35S]DMSHB was not metabolized to DMSP. Although [14C]DMSP-amine and [14C]DMSP-amide were converted slowly to DMSP, similar or higher conversion rates were found in plants that do not naturally accumulate DMSP, indicating that nonspecific reactions were responsible. These nonaccumulating species did not form [35S]DMSP-ald from [35S]SMM, implying that DMSP-ald is specific to DMSP biosynthesis. W. biflora leaf discs catabolized supplied sulfonium compounds to dimethylsulfide at differing rates, in the order DMSP-ald >> DMSP-amine > SMM > DMSP-amide > DMSHB > DMSP.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗

N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine in dry and imbibing cottonseeds. Amounts, molecular species, and enzymatic synthesis.

N-Acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE), an unusual acylated derivative of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), was recently shown to be synthesized from PE and free fatty acids in cotyledons of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings (K.D. Chapman, T.S. Moore [1993] Plant Physiol 102: 761-769). Here we report that NAPE is present in dry seeds of cotton and increases with time of imbibition from 2.31 nmol/seed in dry seeds to 4.26 nmol/seed in 4-h-soaked seeds. Total phospholipid/seed also increased such that the relative percentage of NAPE was similar in dry and soaked seeds (2.3 mol% compared to 2.6 mol%, respectively). The major molecular species of NAPE were identified in both dry and soaked seeds by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and collisionally activated dissociation tandem mass spectrometry as 16:0/18:2-PE(N-palmitoyl), 16:0/18:2-PE(N-linoleoyl), and 18:2/18:2-PE(N-palmitoyl). The specific activity of NAPE synthase in seed extracts increased with increasing time of imbibition from 35 pmol h-1 mg-1 protein in dry seeds to 129 pmol h-1 mg-1 protein in 4-h-soaked seeds. Collectively, our results indicate that NAPE is present in dry cottonseeds and synthesized during imbibition. The biosynthesis of NAPE provides a mechanism for maintaining membrane integrity during seed rehydration and may indicate that NAPE plays a protective role in intracellular membranes of plant tissues, as has been suggested for intracellular membranes of animal tissues.

Acyltransferases↗

Isolation of a nitric oxide inhibitor from mammary tumor cells and its characterization as phosphatidyl serine.

Macrophages from mice bearing large D1-DMBA-3 mammary tumors have a decreased capacity to kill tumor targets. This effect is due to an impaired ability to produce nitric oxide (NO) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Here we report that the DA-3 tumor cell line, derived from the in vivo adenocarcinoma D1-DMBA-3, produces a factor that inhibits both NO production/release and cytotoxicity of LPS-activated peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEM). However, other complex macrophage functions such as phagocytosis, superoxide production, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, and synthesis of proteins were not reduced by this factor. The NO inhibitor has been found to be lipid in nature. Lipid extracts from DA-3 cell culture supernatants were purified by repeated silica gel column chromatography. The active molecule was unambiguously characterized as phosphatidyl serine (PS) by fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry. Preliminary results indicate a lack of induced NO synthase (iNOS) activity in the lysates of LPS-activated PEM pretreated with PS. The ubiquity of PS in the inner leaflet of biological membranes and its NO inhibitory property, suggest that this phospholipid may be one of the long elusive molecules responsible for regulating physiological levels of NO in the host and hence preventing cellular dysfunction and/or tissue damage. Furthermore, the possible overexpression and shedding of PS by DA-3 tumor cells may represent a novel mechanism to impair macrophage cytotoxicity, a host function that contributes to the protection against developing neoplasms.

Animals↗

An approach to locate phosphorylation sites in a phosphoprotein: mass mapping by combining specific enzymatic degradation with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

A rapid, picomole-scale method is described to locate phosphorylation sites in phosphoproteins by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) combined with enzymatic modification of the analyte. There are three steps to locate phosphorylation sites in a phosphoprotein: (i) degradation of the phosphoprotein into small peptides by specific enzymatic or chemical reactions; (ii) identification of the phosphopeptides by -80 (or multiples of -80)-Da mass shifts in the mass spectra after dephosphorylation with alkaline phosphatase; (iii) location of the phosphorylation sites by mass mapping. As the size of the protein increases, it is advantageous to fractionate the mixture by HPLC and analyze each fraction by MALDI-TOF-MS. To perform mass mapping, the primary structure of the protein must be known. Bovine beta-casein was analyzed by this method. The conclusions about the specific phosphorylation sites of bovine beta-casein from our data coincide with previously reported results. From calculations, it is found that a mass spectrometer with 0.1% mass accuracy is sufficient, for mass mapping, to identify completely or partially digested tryptic peptides in the mass range of 100-8000 Da from bovine beta-casein (MW 23,983).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of active-site peptides from 3H-labeled 2-ethynylnaphthalene-inactivated P450 2B1 and 2B4 using amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometry.

2-Ethynylnaphthalene (2EN) is a mechanism-based inactivator of rat cytochrome P450 (P450) 2B1 with 1.3 mol of adduct bound per mole of P450 inactivated [Roberts, E.S., Hopkins, N.E., Alworth, W.L., & Hollenberg, P.F. (1993) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 6, 470-479]. Further studies have shown that 2EN is also an efficient mechanism-based inactivator of the 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activity of rabbit P450 2B4 with 0.83 mol of adduct bound per mole of P450. Cleavage of [3H]2EN-inactivated 2B1 with cyanogen bromide, separation of the peptides by HPLC, and further purification of the radiolabeled fraction by Tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) led to the identification by autoradiography of a radiolabeled peptide (M(r) approximately 3000). Amino acid sequence analysis of the first 12 N-terminal residues revealed the sequence ISLLSLFFAGTE corresponding to positions 290-301 in the protein. When the radiolabeled fraction from the HPLC separation was analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), peaks at m/z 2722.5 and 2890.6 were detected. The lower mass peak corresponds to the molecular ion (average mass) of the cyanogen bromide peptide Ile290 to Met314 (theoretical 2722.2), while the higher mass peak corresponds to the same peptide with a bound 2-naphthylacetyl group (theoretical 2890.4). When [3H]2EN-inactivated 2B4 was treated with cyanogen bromide, the peptides were separated by HPLC, and the fractions were analyzed by Tricine-SDS-PAGE, two radiolabeled peptides (M(r) = 5000 and 8000) were identified by autoradiography. Amino acid sequence analysis of the first 11 residues revealed identical N-termini with the sequence EKDKSDPSSEF corresponding to positions 273-283.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase↗

Analysis of amino acids by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: simultaneous derivatization of functional groups by an aqueous-phase chloroformate-mediated reaction.

The one-step ethyl chloroformate derivatization of amino acids in an aqueous medium is extended with the use of a variety of alkyl chloroformate reagents. This provides a new and convenient procedure for preparing esters with different alkoxy groups. A new mechanism for esterification during chloroformate derivatization is proposed based on the formation of an intermediate mixed carboxylic-carbonic acid anhydride followed by the exchange with an alcohol. Among the different reagents investigated, isobutyl chloroformate derivatized amino acids were found to provide more sensitivity for analyses by GC-flame ionization detection and GC-MS relative to derivatives prepared by other alkyl chloroformates.

Amino Acids↗

Osmoprotective compounds in the Plumbaginaceae: a natural experiment in metabolic engineering of stress tolerance.

In common with other zwitterionic quarternary ammonium compounds (QACs), glycine betaine acts as an osmoprotectant in plants, bacteria, and animals, with its accumulation in the cytoplasm reducing adverse effects of salinity and drought. For this reason, the glycine betaine biosynthesis pathway has become a target for genetic engineering of stress tolerance in crop plants. Besides glycine betaine, several other QAC osmoprotectants have been reported to accumulate among flowering plants, although little is known about their distribution, evolution, or adaptive value. We show here that various taxa of the highly stress-tolerant family Plumbaginaceae have evolved four QACs, which supplement or replace glycine betaine-namely, choline O-sulfate and the betaines of beta-alanine, proline, and hydroxyproline. Evidence from bacterial bioassays demonstrates that these QACs function no better than glycine betaine as osmoprotectants. However, the distribution of QACs among diverse members of the Plumbaginaceae adapted to different types of habitat indicates that different QACs could have selective advantages in particular stress environments. Specifically, choline O-sulfate can function in sulfate detoxification as well as in osmoprotection, beta-alanine betaine may be superior to glycine betaine in hypoxic saline conditions, and proline-derived betaines may be beneficial in chronically dry environments. We conclude that the evolution of osmoprotectant diversity within the Plumbaginaceae suggests additional possibilities to explore in the metabolic engineering of stress tolerance in crops.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

Metabolic engineering of glycine betaine synthesis: plant betaine aldehyde dehydrogenases lacking typical transit peptides are targeted to tobacco chloroplasts where they confer betaine aldehyde resistance.

Certain higher plants synthesize and accumulate glycine betaine, a compound with osmoprotectant properties. Biosynthesis of glycine betaine proceeds via the pathway choline-->betaine aldehyde-->glycine betaine. Plants such as tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) which do not accumulate glycine betaine lack the enzymes catalyzing both reactions. As a step towards engineering glycine betaine accumulation into a non-accumulator, spinach and sugar beet complementary-DNA sequences encoding the second enzyme of glycine-betaine synthesis (betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase, BADH, EC 1.2.1.8) were expressed in tobacco. Despite the absence of a typical transit peptide, BADH was targeted to the chloroplast in leaves of transgenic plants. Levels of extractable BADH were comparable to those in spinach and sugar beet, and the molecular weight, isoenzyme profile and Km for betaine aldehyde of the BADH enzymes from transgenic plants were the same as for native spinach or sugar beet BADH. Transgenic plants converted supplied betaine aldehyde to glycine betaine at high rates, demonstrating that they were able to transport betaine aldehyde across both the plasma membrane and the chloroplast envelope. The glycine betaine produced in this way was not further metabolized and reached concentrations similar to those in plants which accumulate glycine betaine naturally. Betaine aldehyde was toxic to non-transformed tobacco tissues whereas transgenic tissues were resistant due to detoxification of betaine aldehyde to glycine betaine. Betaine aldehyded ehydrogenase is therefore of interest as a potential selectable marker, as well as in the metabolic engineering of osmoprotectant biosynthesis.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

Biosynthesis of 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Wollastonia biflora (L.) DC. Evidence that S-methylmethionine is an intermediate.

The compatible solute 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is accumulated by certain salt-tolerant flowering plants and marine algae. It is the major biogenic precursor of dimethylsulfide, an important sulfur-containing trace gas in the atmosphere. DMSP biosynthesis was investigated in Wollastonia biflora (L.) DC. [= Wedelia biflora (L.) DC., Melanthera biflora (L.) Wild, Asteraceae]. After characterizing DMSP and glycine betaine accumulation in three diverse genotypes, a glycine betaine-free genotype was chosen for radiotracer and stable isotope-labeling studies. In discs from young leaves, label from [U-14C]methionine was readily incorporated into the dimethylsulfide and acrylate moieties of DMSP. This establishes that DMSP is derived from methionine by deamination, decarboxylation, oxidation, and methylation steps, without indicating their order. Five lines of evidence indicated that methylation is the first step in the sequence, not the last. (a) In pulse-chase experiments with [14C]methionine, S-methylmethionine (SMM) had the labeling pattern expected of a pathway intermediate, whereas 3-methylthiopropionate (MTP) did not. (b) [14C]SMM was efficiently converted to DMSP but [14C]MTP was not. (c) The addition of unlabeled SMM, but not of MTP, reduced the synthesis of [14C]DMSP from [14C]methionine. (d) The dimethylsulfide group of [13CH3,C2H3]SMM was incorporated as a unit into DMSP. (e) When [C2H3,C2H3]SMM was given together with [13CH3]methionine, the main product was [C2H3,C2H3]DMSP, not [13CH3,C2H3]DMSP or [13CH3,13CH3]DMSP. The stable isotope labeling results also show that the SMM cycle does not operate at a high level in W. biflora leaves.

Carbon Isotopes↗

Gibberellin A1 is required for stem elongation in spinach.

The effects of the growth retardants 2'-isopropyl-4'-(trimethylammonium chloride)-5'-methylphenyl piperidine-1-carboxylate (AMO-1618) and calcium 3,5-dioxo-4-propionylcyclohexanecarboxylate (BX-112) on stem elongation were investigated in the rosette plant spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) under long-day (LD) conditions. Stem growth induced by a LD treatment was prevented by both retardants. The inhibition caused by AMO-1618 was reversed by gibberellin A1 (GA1) and GA20, whereas the effects of BX-112 were reversed by GA1 only. Six GAs (GA53, GA44, GA19, GA20, GA1, and GA8) were quantified by gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring using internal standards. Plants treated with BX-112 had reduced levels of GA1 and GA8 and accumulated GA53, GA44, GA19, and GA20. The relative levels of four additional GAs (3-epi-GA1, GA29, GA60, and GA81) were compared by ion intensities only. Relative to GA81, the level of GA29 was decreased by BX-112, whereas the levels of GA60 and 3-epi-GA1 were increased. Transfer of spinach from short-day conditions to LD conditions caused an increase in all identified GAs of the early 13-hydroxylation pathway with GA20, GA1, and GA8 showing the largest increases. These findings support the position that, of the GAs belonging to the early 13-hydroxylation pathway, GA1 is the primary GA active per se for stem elongation in spinach. The increase in endogenous GA1 in plants in LD conditions is most likely the primary factor for stem elongation.

Journal Article↗

Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced phosphorylation of Op18 in Jurkat T cells. Identification of phosphorylation sites by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

Op18 is a widely expressed, cell cycle-regulated, phosphoprotein involved in signal transduction of a variety of stimuli. In actively proliferating Jurkat T cells which express Op18 at high level, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) treatment induces a rapid increase in the level of several Op18 phosphorylated forms. To determine phosphorylation sites involved in the PMA effect, the major Op18 phosphorylated forms were resolved in Jurkat T cells, before and after treatment with PMA, using preparative immobilized pH gradient-based two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Tryptic fragments of phosphorylated Op18 were analyzed by two-dimensional thin layer peptide mapping and were resolved by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography prior to analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Phosphorylation sites were identified by further treatment of the proteolytic fragments with different enzymes and determination of the mass shifts by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Two major phosphorylation sites were identified. Low constitutive levels of phosphorylation at Ser25 and Ser38 in Op18a and Op18b was demonstrated. Treatment with PMA resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of Ser25 in Op18a and of both Ser25 and Ser38 in Op18b. Taken together with prior studies of Op18 phosphorylation, the data suggest that Op18 phosphorylation occurs at identical sites in different tissues and organisms.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Composition of the peptidoglycan of Haemophilus influenzae.

The composition of the peptidoglycan of Haemophilus influenzae was determined by analyzing glycopeptides generated by M1 muramidase hydrolysis using high pressure liquid chromatography, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, and fast atom bombardment collisionally activated dissociation tandem mass spectrometry, and amino acid analysis. The structures of 17 glycopeptides, representing 96% of the total peptidoglycan, were ascertained. Fifteen glycopeptides resembled species described for Escherichia coli peptidoglycan (Glauner, B., and Schwarz, U. (1983) The Target of Penicillin (Hackenbeck, R., ed), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin pp. 29-34) as compared with 9 in common with Bordetella pertussis (Tuomanen, E., Schwartz, J., Sande, S., Light, K., and Gage, D. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 11093-11098). Substitutions for L-alanine in the fourth position of the stem peptide included glycine, aspartic acid, and serine. The peptidoglycan was 27% cross-linked, 2% of which formed between diaminopimelic acid residues. No species was identified containing lysyl-arginine residues characteristic of lipoprotein. The peptidoglycan of non-beta-lactamase-mediated antibiotic-resistant H. influenzae differed from that of sensitive strains by an increase in the amount of disaccharide tripeptides and a decrease in 1,6-anhydro dimers. Both changes were transformable properties that changed in a stepwise fashion in parallel with the degree of antibiotic resistance.

Amino Acids↗

Characterization of N-ethoxycarbonyl ethyl esters of amino acids by mass spectrometry.

Derivatization of amino acids by using ethyl chloroformate-ethanol-pyridine provides volatile products, N-ethoxycarbonyl amino acid ethyl esters (ECEEs), which are easily amenable to GC or GC-MS analysis. MS behavior of these compounds under electron-impact has been studied. The fragments observed in the spectra facilitate recognition of commonly occurring protein amino acids and characterization of unknown analogues.

Amino Acids↗

Charge-remote fragmentation in a disulfide-containing peptide, [Pen]-enkephalin, under fast atom bombardment collisionally activated dissociation conditions.

Fast atom bombardment collisionally activated dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (FAB CAD MS/MS) of a disulfide-containing peptide, [2-D-penicillamine, 5-D-penicillamine]- enkephalin ([Pen]-enkephalin), is described. Unlike those of most other disulfide-containing peptides investigated, CAD of the native, unreduced protonated molecule of [Pen]-enkephalin yields a relatively large number of fragment ions. Most of the peaks in the CAD spectrum represent fragmentations of the peptide backbone with 'unsymmetric' cleavage of the disulfide bond with charge retention on the N-terminus; the fragment ions generally do not contain a sulfur atom or a disulfide group. The CAD spectrum of the N-terminal ethyl-triphenylphosphonium derivative, on the other hand, shows few fragment ions and is dominated by the single peak at m/z 523. This dominant ion also results from 'unsymmetric' cleavage and corresponds to the analogous protonated species (m/z 235) in the spectrum of the underivatized peptide. The chemical method of charge localization by triphenylphosphonium derivative formation at one end of the peptide is shown to be useful for investigating fragmentation mechanisms in FAB CAD MS/MS. Comparison of the CAD spectra of derivatized and underivatized [Pen]-enkephalin suggests that charge-remote fragmentation plays a significant role in the high-energy dissociation of this disulfide-bonded peptide.

Enkephalin, D-Penicillamine (2,5)-↗

Phospholipid and fatty acid compositions of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii ANU843 in relation to flavone-activated pSym nod gene expression.

The phospholipid and associated fatty acid compositions of the bacterial symbiont of clover, Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii wild-type ANU843, was analyzed by two-dimensional silica thin-layer chromatography, fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, flame-ionization detection gas-liquid chromatography and combined gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The phospholipid composition included phosphatidylethanolamine (15%), N-methylphosphatidylethanolamine (47%), N,N-dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine (9%), phosphatidylglycerol (19%), cardiolipin (5%) and phosphatidylcholine (2%). Fatty acid composition included predominantly cis-11-octadecenoic acid, lower levels of cis-9-hexadecenoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, 11-methyl-11-octadecenoic acid, octadecanoic acid, 11,12-methyleneoctadecanoic acid, eicosanoic acid and traces of branched, and di- and triunsaturated fatty acids. The influence of expression of the "nodulation" genes encoding symbiotic functions on the composition of these membrane lipids was examined in wild-type cells grown with or without the flavone inducer, 4',7-dihydroxyflavone and in mutated cells lacking the entire symbiotic plasmid where these genes reside, or containing single transposon insertions in selected nodulation genes. No significant changes in phospholipid or associated fatty acid compositions were detected by the above methods of analysis.

Fatty Acids↗

ent-kaurene biosynthesis is enhanced by long photoperiods in the long-day plants Spinacia oleracea L. and Agrostemma githago L.

The effect of photoperiod on ent-kaurene biosynthesis was determined in the long-day (LD) plants spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and Agrostemma githago L. Further metabolism of ent-kaurene was blocked by application of the growth retardant tetcyclacis, and ent-kaurene accumulation was measured by isotopic dilution using gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring (GC-SIM) (E. Grosselindemann, J.E. Graebe, D. Stöckl, P. Hedden [1991] Plant Physiol 96: 1099-1104). In spinach, the rate of ent-kaurene accumulation in shoots grown under LD conditions was 3 times higher than in shoots grown under short-day (SD) conditions. ent-Kaurene also accumulated in fully expanded leaves, but at a lower rate than in shoots (15 and 55 pmol g-1 dry weight h-1, respectively). In Agrostemma, ent-kaurene accumulated at a rate 2.5 times higher in plants grown under LD conditions than in those grown under SD conditions. In spinach, enhanced ent-kaurene accumulation was detectable after 1 long day, and with exposure to additional long days, the rate of ent-kaurene accumulation increased further. Conversely, when plants were exposed to LD conditions and then returned to SD conditions, the rate of ent-kaurene accumulation decreased. Following tetcyclacis application, ent-kaurene accumulation was observed in all parts of spinach that were analyzed, but there were large quantitative differences between organs of different ages. As the leaves matured, ent-kaurene biosynthesis declined. Petioles accumulated more ent-kaurene than the corresponding leaf blades. It is concluded that stimulation of ent-kaurene biosynthesis by LD conditions leads to a higher rate of gibberellin biosynthesis, which is essential for stem elongation in rosette plants.

Darkness↗

Evidence that the putative compatible solute 5-dimethylsulfoniopentanoate is an extraction artifact.

A novel gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for analyzing sulfonium compounds as their S-demethylated silyl derivatives has clarified the origin of 5-dimethylsulfoniopentanoate. This compound, previously reported from flowers of Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC. (Cruciferae), is generated from glucoerucin during treatment with hot 6 N HCl. Glucoerucin is the characteristic glucosinolate of D. tenuifolia.

Artifacts↗

Altered muropeptide composition in Staphylococcus aureus strains with an inactivated femA locus.

Tn551 inactivation of femA, a factor involved in methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus, caused the production of peptidoglycan in which the fraction of monoglycyl- and serine-containing muropeptides was increased at the expense of pentaglycyl muropeptides. femA mutants have a specific block in the biosynthesis of pentaglycine cross bridges after the addition of the first glycine residue.

Amino Acid Sequence↗