A Polyketide Synthase Catalyzes the Last Condensation Step of Mycolic Acid Biosynthesis in Mycobacteria and Related Organisms

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 101; no. 1; pp. 314 - 319
• Main Authors: Portevin, Damien, de Sousa-D'Auria, Célia, Houssin, Christine, Grimaldi, Christine, Chami, Mohamed, Daffé, Mamadou, Guilhot, Christophe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 06.01.2004; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biological Sciences; Biosynthesis; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell Membrane - ultrastructure; Cell walls; Cells; Condensation; Corynebacterineae; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium - genetics; Corynebacterium - metabolism; Corynebacterium - ultrastructure; Enzymes; Fatty acids; Freeze Fracturing; Genes; Genes, Bacterial; Genetic Complementation Test; Humans; Microscopy, Electron; Models, Biological; Molecular Sequence Data; Multienzyme Complexes - genetics; Multienzyme Complexes - metabolism; Mutation; Mycobacterium smegmatis; Mycobacterium smegmatis - genetics; Mycobacterium smegmatis - metabolism; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; mycolic acid; Mycolic acids; Mycolic Acids - chemistry; Mycolic Acids - metabolism; pks13 gene; Plasmids; polyketide synthase; Polymerase chain reaction; Rhodococcus - genetics; Rhodococcus - metabolism

Mycolic acids are major and specific constituents of the cell envelope of Corynebacterineae, a suborder of bacterial species including several important human pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, or Corynebacterium diphtheriae. These long-chain fatty acids are involved...