Open AccessThe fib locus in Streptococcus pneumoniae is required for peptidoglycan crosslinking and PBP‐mediated β‐lactam resistance
Author(s) -
Weber Beate,
Ehlert Kerstin,
Diehl Andrea,
Reichmann Peter,
Labischinski Harald,
Hakenbeck Regine
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb09172.x
Subject(s) - peptidoglycan , streptococcus pneumoniae , locus (genetics) , lactam , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , cell wall , biology , gene , stereochemistry , biochemistry , antibiotics
Penicillin resistance in pneumococci is mediated by modified penicillin‐binding proteins (PBPs) that have decreased affinity to β‐lactams. In high‐level penicillin‐resistant transformants of the laboratory strain Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 containing various combinations of low‐affinity PBPs, disruption of the fib locus results in a collapse of PBP‐mediated resistance. In addition, crosslinked muropeptides are highly reduced. The fib operon consists of two genes, fibA and fibB , homologous to Staphylococcus aureus femA / B which are also required for expression of methicillin resistance in this organism. FibA and FibB belong to a family of proteins of Gram‐positive bacteria involved in the formation of interpeptide bridges, thus representing interesting new targets for antimicrobial compounds for this group of pathogens.