Document Type
Article
Abstract
Chitin, a homopolymer of β1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues, is a key component of the cell walls of fungi and the exoskeletons of arthropods. Chitin synthases transfer GlcNAc from UDP-GlcNAc to preexisting chitin chains in reactions that are typically stimulated by free GlcNAc. The effect of GlcNAc was probed by using a yeast strain expressing a single chitin synthase, Chs2, by examining formation of chitin oligosaccharides (COs) and insoluble chitin, and by replacing GlcNAc with 2-acylamido analogues of GlcNAc. Synthesis of COs was strongly dependent on inclusion of GlcNAc in chitin synthase incubations, and N,N′-diacetylchitobiose (GlcNAc2) was the major reaction product. Formation of both COs and insoluble chitin was also stimulated by GlcNAc2 and by N-propanoyl-, N-butanoyl-, and N-glycolylglucosamine. MALDI analyses of the COs made in the presence of 2-acylamido analogues of GlcNAc showed they that contained a single GlcNAc analogue and one or more additional GlcNAc residues. These results indicate that Chs2 can use certain 2-acylamido analogues of GlcNAc, and likely free GlcNAc and GlcNAc2 as well, as GlcNAc acceptors in a UDP-GlcNAc-dependent glycosyltransfer reaction. Further, formation of modified disaccharides indicates that CSs can transfer single GlcNAc residues.
Publication Date
May 2014
Publication Title
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Volume
289
Issue
18
First Page
12835
Last Page
12841
DOI
10.1074/jbc.M114.550749
Recommended Citation
Gyore, Jacob; Parameswar, Archana; Hebbard, Carleigh; Oh, Younghoon; Bi, Erfei; Demchenko, Alexei; Price, Neil; and Orlean, Peter, "2-Acylamido Analogues of N-Acetylglucosamine Prime Formation of Chitin Oligosaccharides by Yeast Chitin Synthase 2" (2014). Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works. 19.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M114.550749
Available at:
https://irl.umsl.edu/chemistry-faculty/19