Journal
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
Volume 68, Issue 5, Pages 817-831Publisher
SPRINGER BASEL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0571-8
Keywords
D-amino acid; Racemase; Stationary phase; Peptidoglycan; Biofilm; Regulation
Categories
Funding
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) [NIH AI-R37-42347]
- MEC
- Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship
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The d-enantiomers of amino acids have been thought to have relatively minor functions in biological processes. While l-amino acids clearly predominate in nature, d-amino acids are sometimes found in proteins that are not synthesized by ribosomes, and d-Ala and d-Glu are routinely found in the peptidoglycan cell wall of bacteria. Here, we review recent findings showing that d-amino acids have previously unappreciated regulatory roles in the bacterial kingdom. Many diverse bacterial phyla synthesize and release d-amino acids, including d-Met and d-Leu, which were not previously known to be made. These noncanonical d-amino acids regulate cell wall remodeling in stationary phase and cause biofilm dispersal in aging bacterial communities. Elucidating the mechanisms by which d-amino acids govern cell wall remodeling and biofilm disassembly will undoubtedly reveal new paradigms for understanding how extracytoplasmic processes are regulated as well as lead to development of novel therapeutics.
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