Lipoteichoic acid synthesis and function in gram-positive bacteria.

@article{Percy2014LipoteichoicAS,
  title={Lipoteichoic acid synthesis and function in gram-positive bacteria.},
  author={Matthew G Percy and Angelika Gr{\"u}ndling},
  journal={Annual review of microbiology},
  year={2014},
  volume={68},
  pages={
          81-100
        }
}
Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is an important cell wall polymer found in gram-positive bacteria. Although the exact role of LTA is unknown, mutants display significant growth and physiological defects. Additionally, modification of the LTA backbone structure can provide protection against cationic antimicrobial peptides. This review provides an overview of the different LTA types and their chemical structures and synthesis pathways. The occurrence and mechanisms of LTA modifications with D-alanyl… 
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Lipoteichoic Acid Synthesis and Function in Gram-Positive Bacteria
TLDR
Molecular genetic studies revealed catalysts for LTA substituents with D-alanine, phosphocholine and glycolipid anchors that impact O. pneumoniae growth, cell division and separation, ion hemostasis, as well as envelope assembly and integrity.
Structure of a proton-dependent lipid transporter involved in lipoteichoic acids biosynthesis
TLDR
Structural analysis and functional assays of S. aureus LtaA reveal that it functions as a proton-coupled flippase of the lipoteichoic acid precursor and that it contributes to S.aureus survival under physiological acidic conditions.
Lipoteichoic acid deficiency permits normal growth but impairs virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae
TLDR
It is shown that LTA exhibits a different linkage conformation compared to WTA, and TacL (previously known as RafX) is identified as a putative lipoteichoic acid ligase required for LTA assembly, important for Streptococcus pneumoniae virulence in mouse models.
Discovery of genes required for lipoteichoic acid glycosylation predicts two distinct mechanisms for wall teichoic acid glycosylation
TLDR
Using bioinformatics, genetic, and NMR spectroscopy approaches, the Bacillus subtilis csbB and yfhO genes are found to be essential for LTA glycosylation and the results indicate that glycosolation of WTA might occur through two different mechanisms in Gram-positive bacteria.
Streptococcus gordonii Type I Lipoteichoic Acid Contributes to Surface Protein Biogenesis
TLDR
It is demonstrated that in S. gordonii, LTA plays an important role in the presentation of many cell surface-associated proteins, contributing to cell envelope homeostasis, cell-to-cell interactions in biofilms, and adhesion to eukaryotic cells.
Insights into the role of lipoteichoic acids in Bacillus subtilis- a new function for MprF
TLDR
This work provides the first evidence that the length and abundance of LTA acts to regulate the cellular level of LytE, and identifies a novel function for the aminoacyl-phosphatidylglycerol synthase MprF which acts to modulate LTA biosynthesis in B. subtilis and in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.
Inactivation of the Monofunctional Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase SgtB Allows Staphylococcus aureus To Survive in the Absence of Lipoteichoic Acid
TLDR
It is shown that LTA is required for efficient peptidoglycan cross-linking in S. aureus and inactivation of a peptidglycan glycosyltransferase can partially rescue this defect, together revealing an intimate link between peptidlycercan and LTA synthesis.
Lipoteichoic acid polymer length is determined by competition between free starter units
TLDR
It is shown that polymer length is an intrinsic property of LtaS that is directly regulated by the identity and concentration of lipid starter units, and this reconstituted system should be useful for characterizing inhibitors of this key cell envelope enzyme.
The Cell Wall Polymer Lipoteichoic Acid Becomes Nonessential in Staphylococcus aureus Cells Lacking the ClpX Chaperone
TLDR
The results indicate that LTA has an essential role in septum placement that can be bypassed by inactivating the ClpX chaperone, and a novel functional connection in the genetic network that controls cell division in S. aureus may expand the repertoire of possible strategies to identify compounds or compound combinations that kill antibiotic-resistant S.Aureus.
Reconstitution of Staphylococcus aureus Lipoteichoic Acid Synthase Activity Identifies Congo Red as a Selective Inhibitor.
TLDR
As the only validated LtaS inhibitor, Congo red can serve as a probe to understand how inhibiting lipoteichoic acid biosynthesis affects cell physiology and may also guide the discovery of more potent inhibitors for use in treating S. aureus infections.
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