In: Biology
How is Bactoprenol involved in peptidoglycan synthesis?
Please provide an in depth answer in its simplest form for easy understanding. Thank you
Peptidoglycan monomers is produced in the cytosol of the bacteria where peptidoglycan attach to bactoprenol which is a membrane carrier molecule. The bactoprenols passage the peptidoglycan monomer through the cytoplasmic membrane and helps in insert them into the growing peptidoglycan chains.
A. Firstly, N-acetylglucosamine or NAG bind with uridine diphosphate or UDP and form UDP-NAG. Some NAG is enzymatically changed to N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) and form UDP-NAM.
B. Five amino acids is serially added to UDP- NAM and form a pentapeptide.
C. In the cytoplasmic membrane, The NAM-pentapeptide is involved with bactoprenol carrier molecule, the energy being supplied by phosphate of UDP.
D. Then NAG is link to the NAM-pentapeptide on the bactoprenol and complete the peptidoglycan monomer.
At the growing point of the cell wall ,Bactoprenols insert the peptidoglycan monomers into break in the peptidoglycan.
So in the cytosol of the bacterium Peptidoglycan monomers synthesize where they link to a membrane carrier molecules known as bactoprenol.
Then bactoprenols transfer the peptidoglycan monomers through the cytoplasmic membrane which help insert them into the growing peptidoglycan chains.
the process of peptidoglycan synthesis and role of bactoprenol is show in following image-