High-Resolution Crystal Structure of an Outer Membrane-Anchored Endolytic Peptidoglycan Lytic Transglycosylase (MltE) from Escherichia coli

摘要

The crystal structure of the first endolytic peptidoglycan lytic transglycosylase MltE from Escherichia coli is reported herein. The degradative activity of this enzyme initiates the process of cell wall recycling, which is an integral event in the bacterial existence. The structure sheds light on how MltE recognizes its substrate, the cell wall peptidoglycan. It also explains the ability of this endolytic enzyme to cleave in the middle of the peptidoglycan chains. Furthermore, the structure reveals how the enzyme is sequestered on the inner leaf let of the outer membrane.