期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2003
卷号：100
期号：3
页码：845-849
DOI：10.1073/pnas.0235749100
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：MurG is an essential glycosyltransferase that forms the glycosidic linkage between N-acetyl muramyl pentapeptide and N-acetyl glucosamine in the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall. This enzyme is a member of a major superfamily of NDP-glycosyltransferases for which no x-ray structures containing intact substrates have been reported. Here we present the 2.5-A crystal structure of Escherichia coli MurG in complex with its donor substrate, UDP-GlcNAc. Combined with genomic analysis of other superfamily members and site-specific mutagenesis of E. coli MurG, this structure sheds light on the molecular basis for both donor and acceptor selectivity for the superfamily. This structural analysis suggests that it will be possible to evolve new glycosyltransferases from prototypical superfamily members by varying two key loops while maintaining the overall architecture of the family and preserving key residues.
