Journal: Biomolecules / Year: 2025 Title: Structural Basis for Targeting the Bifunctional Enzyme ArnA. Authors: Xinyu Liu / Ruochen Yang / Libang Ren / Tong Li / Yanrong Li / Zhihua Yan / Yanrong Gao / Mingqi Yang / Jiazhi Li / Abstract: Polymyxin antibiotics are often the last line of defense against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. A key resistance mechanism involves the addition of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (L-Ara4N) ...Polymyxin antibiotics are often the last line of defense against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. A key resistance mechanism involves the addition of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (L-Ara4N) to lipid A, mediated by the bifunctional enzyme ArnA. However, the evolutionary rationale and structural basis for ArnA's domain fusion, hexameric assembly, and catalytic coordination remain mechanistically unresolved. Here, we integrate evolutionary genomics, high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and computational protein design to provide a comprehensive mechanistic analysis of ArnA. Our evolutionary analysis reveals that the dehydrogenase (DH) and formyltransferase (TF) domains evolved independently and were selectively fused in Gammaproteobacteria, suggesting an adaptive advantage. A 2.89 Å cryo-EM structure of apo-ArnA resolves the flexible interdomain linker and reveals a DH-driven hexameric architecture essential for enzymatic activity. 3D variability analysis captures intrinsic conformational dynamics, indicating a molecular switch that may coordinate sequential catalysis and substrate channeling. Structure-based peptide inhibitors targeting the hexamerization and predicted ArnA-ArnB interaction interfaces were computationally designed, offering a novel strategy for disrupting L-Ara4N biosynthesis. These findings illuminate a previously uncharacterized structural mechanism of antimicrobial resistance and lay the groundwork for therapeutic intervention.
Entire : Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA
Entire
Name: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA
Components
Cell: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA
Protein or peptide: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA
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Supramolecule #1: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA
Supramolecule
Name: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA / type: cell / ID: 1 / Parent: 0 / Macromolecule list: all
Source (natural)
Organism: Escherichia coli BW25113 (bacteria)
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Macromolecule #1: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA
Macromolecule
Name: Bifunctional polymyxin resistance protein ArnA / type: protein_or_peptide / ID: 1 Details: Sequence reference for Escherichia coli BW25113 is not available at the time of biocuration. Current sequence reference is from UniProt ID P77398. Number of copies: 6 / Enantiomer: LEVO EC number: UDP-4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose formyltransferase
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