Abstract
The crystal structure of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase in the presence of its substrate, enolpyruvyl-UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, has been solved to 2.7 Å resolution. This enzyme is responsible for the synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis and consequently provides an attractive target for the design of antibacterial agents. The structure reveals a novel flavin binding motif, shows a striking alignment of the flavin with the substrate, and suggests a catalytic mechanism for the reduction of this unusual enol ether.
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Benson, T., Filman, D., Walsh, C. et al. An enzyme–substrate complex involved in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2, 644–653 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsb0895-644
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsb0895-644
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