Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-22-2017
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705400114
Abstract
In several Proteobacteria, LuxI-type enzymes catalyze the biosynthesis of acyl–homoserine lactones (AHL) signals using S-adenosyl– L-methionine and either cellular acyl carrier protein (ACP)-coupled fatty acids or CoA–aryl/acyl moieties as progenitors. Little is known about the molecular mechanism of signal biosynthesis, the basis for substrate specificity, or the rationale for donor specificity for any LuxI member. Here, we present several cocrystal structures of BjaI, a CoAdependent LuxI homolog that represent views of enzyme complexes that exist along the reaction coordinate of signal synthesis. Complementary biophysical, structure–function, and kinetic analysis define the features that facilitate the unusual acyl conjugation with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). We also identify the determinant that establishes specificity for the acyl donor and identify residues that are critical for acyl/aryl specificity. These results highlight howa prevalent scaffold has evolved to catalyze quorum signal synthesis and provide a framework for the design of small-molecule antagonists of quorum signaling.
Copyright Statement
This document was originally published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Copyright restrictions may apply. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1705400114
Publication Information
Dong, Shi-Hui; Frane, Nicole D.; Christensen, Quin H.; Greenberg, E. Peter; Nagarajan, Rajesh; and Nair, Satish K.. (2017). "Molecular Basis for the Substrate Specificity of Quorum Signal Synthases". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(34), 9092-9097.