English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

In many Gram-negative pathogens, their virulent behavior is regulated by quorum sensing, in which diffusible signals such as N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) act as chemical messaging compounds. Enzymatic degradation of these diffusible signals by, e.g., lactonases or amidohydrolases abolishes AHL regulated virulence, a process known as quorum quenching. Here we report the first crystal structure of an AHL amidohydrolase, the AHL acylase PvdQ from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PvdQ has a typical alpha/beta heterodimeric Ntn-hydrolase fold, similar to penicillin G acylase and cephalosporin acylase. However, it has a distinct, unusually large, hydrophobic binding pocket, ideally suited to recognize C12 fatty acid-like chains of AHLs. Binding of a C12 fatty acid or a 3-oxo-C12 fatty acid induces subtle conformational changes to accommodate the aliphatic chain. Furthermore, the structure of a covalent ester intermediate identifies Serbeta1 as the nucleophile and Asnbeta269 and Valbeta70 as the oxyanion hole residues in the AHL degradation process. Our structures show the versatility of the Ntn-hydrolase scaffold and can serve as a structural paradigm for Ntn-hydrolases with similar substrate preference. Finally, the quorum-quenching capabilities of PvdQ may be utilized to suppress the quorum-sensing machinery of pathogens.

The quorum-quenching N -acyl homoserine lactone acylase PvdQ is an Ntn-hydrolase with an unusual substrate-binding pocket