8if8

Structural highlights

Function

AFTA_MYCTU Involved in the biosynthesis of the arabinogalactan (AG) region of the mycolylarabinogalactan-peptidoglycan (mAGP) complex, an essential component of the mycobacterial cell wall. Catalyzes the addition of the first key arabinofuranosyl (Araf) residue from the sugar donor decaprenyl-phospho-arabinose (DPA) on the C-5 of a 6-linked galactofuranosyl (Galf) of the galactan domain, thus 'priming' the galactan for further elaboration by other arabinofuranosyltransferases. It is not able to add an Araf residue to a terminal Galf.^{[1] [2]}

References

1. ↑ Alderwick LJ, Seidel M, Sahm H, Besra GS, Eggeling L. Identification of a novel arabinofuranosyltransferase (AftA) involved in cell wall arabinan biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jun 9;281(23):15653-61. PMID:16595677 doi:10.1074/jbc.M600045200
2. ↑ Shi L, Zhou R, Liu Z, Lowary TL, Seeberger PH, Stocker BL, Crick DC, Khoo KH, Chatterjee D. Transfer of the first arabinofuranose residue to galactan is essential for Mycobacterium smegmatis viability. J Bacteriol. 2008 Aug;190(15):5248-55. PMID:18556798 doi:10.1128/JB.00028-08