Selectivity for d-Lactate Incorporation into the Peptidoglycan Precursors of Lactobacillus plantarum: Role of Aad, a VanX-Like d-Alanyl-d-Alanine Dipeptidase▿ †

摘要

Lactobacillus plantarum produces peptidoglycan precursors ending in d-lactate instead of d-alanine, making the bacterium intrinsically resistant to vancomycin. The ligase Ddl of L. plantarum plays a central role in this specificity by synthesizing d-alanyl-d-lactate depsipeptides that are added to the precursor peptide chain by the enzyme MurF. Here we show that L. plantarum also encodes a d-Ala-d-Ala dipeptidase, Aad, which eliminates d-alanyl-d-alanine dipeptides that are produced by the Ddl ligase, thereby preventing their incorporation into the precursors. Although d-alanine-ended precursors can be incorporated into the cell wall, inactivation of Aad failed to suppress growth defects of L. plantarum mutants deficient in d-lactate-ended precursor synthesis.