4HG6

Structure of a cellulose synthase - cellulose translocation intermediate

Summary for 4HG6

• Entry DOI: 10.2210/pdb4hg6/pdb
• Descriptor: Cellulose Synthase Subunit A, Cellulose Synthase Subunit B, beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranose, ... (5 entities in total)
• Functional Keywords: membrane translocation, cellulose synthesis, udp-glc binding, membrane, transferase
• Biological source: Rhodobacter sphaeroides; More
• Total number of polymer chains: 2
• Total formula weight: 168558.88

Authors

Zimmer, J. (deposition date: 2012-10-07, release date: 2012-12-19, Last modification date: 2020-07-29)

Primary citation

Morgan, J.L.,Strumillo, J.,Zimmer, J.
Crystallographic snapshot of cellulose synthesis and membrane translocation.
Nature, 493:181-186, 2012

PubMed Abstract: Cellulose, the most abundant biological macromolecule, is an extracellular, linear polymer of glucose molecules. It represents an essential component of plant cell walls but is also found in algae and bacteria. In bacteria, cellulose production frequently correlates with the formation of biofilms, a sessile, multicellular growth form. Cellulose synthesis and transport across the inner bacterial membrane is mediated by a complex of the membrane-integrated catalytic BcsA subunit and the membrane-anchored, periplasmic BcsB protein. Here we present the crystal structure of a complex of BcsA and BcsB from Rhodobacter sphaeroides containing a translocating polysaccharide. The structure of the BcsA-BcsB translocation intermediate reveals the architecture of the cellulose synthase, demonstrates how BcsA forms a cellulose-conducting channel, and suggests a model for the coupling of cellulose synthesis and translocation in which the nascent polysaccharide is extended by one glucose molecule at a time.

PubMed: 23222542
DOI: 10.1038/nature11744

Experimental method

X-RAY DIFFRACTION (3.25 Å)