An intermolecular binding mechanism involving multiple LysM domains mediates carbohydrate recognition by an endopeptidase

Mei Mei Jaslyn Elizabeth Wong, Søren Roi Midtgaard, Kira Gysel, Mikkel Boas Thygesen, Kasper Kildegaard Sørensen, Knud Jørgen Jensen, Jens Stougaard, Søren Skou Thirup, Mickael Blaise

27 Citations (Scopus)
1084 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

LysM domains, which are frequently present as repetitive entities in both bacterial and plant proteins, are known to interact with carbohydrates containing N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moieties, such as chitin and peptidoglycan. In bacteria, the functional significance of the involvement of multiple LysM domains in substrate binding has so far lacked support from high-resolution structures of ligand-bound complexes. Here, a structural study of the Thermus thermophilus NlpC/P60 endopeptidase containing two LysM domains is presented. The crystal structure and small-angle X-ray scattering solution studies of this endopeptidase revealed the presence of a homodimer. The structure of the two LysM domains co-crystallized with N-acetyl-chitohexaose revealed a new intermolecular binding mode that may explain the differential interaction between LysM domains and short or long chitin oligomers. By combining the structural information with the three-dimensional model of peptidoglycan, a model suggesting how protein dimerization enhances the recognition of peptidoglycan is proposed.

Original languageEnglish
JournalActa Crystallographica. Section D: Biological Crystallography
Volume71
Pages (from-to)592-605
Number of pages14
ISSN0907-4449
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2015

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