M. Ashiuchi
2010
Citations
4
Influential Citations
35
Citations
Journal
Journal name not available for this finding
Abstract
Poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA) is an anionic polyamide biomaterial in which usually over 10,000 molecules of glutamic acid are polymerized via γ-amide linkages. PGA is found in various organisms, and essentially synthesized in a ribosome-independent manner. To date, two distinct modes for nonribosomal amino acid polymerization have been proposed: the thiotemplate mechanism and the amide ligation process. The former mode of polymerization often brings about a disagreement of the stereochemistry between a polymer produced and the substrate(s), differently from the latter mode. dl-PGA synthesis in Bacillus subtilis proceeds via the amide ligation mechanism and thus both isomers of glutamic acid can serve as substrates. The operon architecture responsible for dl-PGA synthesis occurs in the chromosome of B. subtilis, and all the components of the PGA synthetase complex, that is, PgsB, -C, -A, and -E, are membrane-associated. Here, we present the structural features and predicted functions of each Pgs component.