Structure of a novel O-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase, GtfA, reveals insights into the glycosylation of pneumococcal serine-rich repeat adhesins

J Biol Chem. 2014 Jul 25;289(30):20898-907. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.581934.

Abstract

Protein glycosylation catalyzed by the O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) plays a critical role in various biological processes. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, the core enzyme GtfA and co-activator GtfB form an OGT complex to glycosylate the serine-rich repeat (SRR) of adhesin PsrP (pneumococcal serine-rich repeat protein), which is involved in the infection and pathogenesis. Here we report the 2.0 Å crystal structure of GtfA, revealing a β-meander add-on domain beyond the catalytic domain. It represents a novel add-on domain, which is distinct from the all-α-tetratricopeptide repeats in the only two structure-known OGTs. Structural analyses combined with binding assays indicate that this add-on domain contributes to forming an active GtfA-GtfB complex and recognizing the acceptor protein. In addition, the in vitro glycosylation system enables us to map the O-linkages to the serine residues within the first SRR of PsrP. These findings suggest that fusion with an add-on domain might be a universal mechanism for diverse OGTs that recognize varying acceptor proteins/peptides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / chemistry
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Glycosylation
  • Multienzyme Complexes / chemistry
  • Multienzyme Complexes / genetics
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / enzymology*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / genetics
  • Transaminases / chemistry*
  • Transaminases / genetics
  • Transaminases / metabolism

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Transaminases