Eubacteria

Chris Whitfield; Christine M. Szymanski; Amanda L. Lewis; Markus Aebi

doi:10.1101/glycobiology.4e.21

Eubacteria

Review

In: Essentials of Glycobiology [Internet]. 4th edition. Cold Spring Harbor (NY): Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 2022. Chapter 21.

Authors

Chris Whitfield, Christine M. Szymanski, Amanda L. Lewis, Markus Aebi

Book Editors

Book Affiliations

¹ Distinguished Professor of Medicine and of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Co-Director, Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
² Professor of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Director, National Center for Functional Glycomics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
³ Distinguished Professor of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Co-Director, Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
⁴ Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Chair, Professor of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
⁵ Sr. Eminent Scholar in Drug Discovery, Georgia Research Alliance William Henry Terry Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
⁶ Professor of Mycology, ETH Zürich, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Zürich, Switzerland
⁷ Distinguished Research Professor, Georgia Athletics Association Professor in Complex Carbohydrate Research, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
⁸ Endowed Chair and Professor, Yabumoto Department of Intractable Disease Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
⁹ Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia and Principal Research Leader, Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
¹⁰ Professor and Eminent Scholar Emeritus, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
¹¹ Professor, Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
¹² Director of Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany, Professor, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany

PMID: 35536956
Bookshelf ID: NBK579948
DOI: 10.1101/glycobiology.4e.21

Excerpt

Glycoconjugates are integral components of the cell surfaces of bacteria and are often the immediate point of contact with the environment. Surface glycoconjugates contribute to the essential permeability barrier properties of the cell envelope, influence both the susceptibility and resistance of bacteria to antibiotics and other harmful compounds, participate in the formation and dispersion of biofilms, act as receptors for bacteriophages, and play pivotal roles in pathogenic and symbiotic host–microbe interactions. Reflecting these many functions, surface glycoconjugates are remarkably diverse, enabled by the propensity for bacterial genetic recombination and lateral gene transfer and shaped by environmental interactions that impart niche-specific selective pressures. Surface glycoconjugates drive a variety of important interactions with host innate and adaptive immune defenses. Some are recognized as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), for example, via Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated pathways. Others are natural targets of adaptive immunity and have been exploited in successful vaccine strategies. Because of their importance in cell viability, surface glycoconjugates are also frequent targets of antimicrobial strategies. This chapter will provide an overview of the structure and biosynthesis of glycoconjugates, together with some examples of their functions.

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