8C0E

The lipid linked oligosaccharide polymerase Wzy and its regulating co-polymerase Wzz form a complex in vivo and in vitro

Summary for 8C0E

• Entry DOI: 10.2210/pdb8c0e/pdb
• EMDB information: 16364
• Descriptor: ECA polysaccharide chain length modulation protein (1 entity in total)
• Functional Keywords: enterobacterial common antigen, lipopolysaccharide, wzx/wzy pathway, polysaccharide polymerase, polysaccharide co-polymerase, membrane protein
• Biological source: Pectobacterium atrosepticum
• Total number of polymer chains: 8
• Total formula weight: 316374.25

Authors

Weckener, M.,Woodward, L.S.,Clarke, B.R.,Liu, H.,Ward, P.N.,Le Bas, A.,Bhella, D.,Whitfield, C.,Naismith, J.H. (deposition date: 2022-12-16, release date: 2023-04-19, Last modification date: 2025-07-09)

Primary citation

Weckener, M.,Woodward, L.S.,Clarke, B.R.,Liu, H.,Ward, P.N.,Le Bas, A.,Bhella, D.,Whitfield, C.,Naismith, J.H.
The lipid linked oligosaccharide polymerase Wzy and its regulating co-polymerase, Wzz, from enterobacterial common antigen biosynthesis form a complex.
Open Biology, 13:220373-220373, 2023

PubMed Abstract: The enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) is a carbohydrate polymer that is associated with the cell envelope in the . ECA contains a repeating trisaccharide which is polymerized by WzyE, a member of the Wzy membrane protein polymerase superfamily. WzyE activity is regulated by a membrane protein polysaccharide co-polymerase, WzzE. Förster resonance energy transfer experiments demonstrate that WzyE and WzzE from form a complex , and immunoblotting and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis confirm a defined stoichiometry of approximately eight WzzE to one WzyE. Low-resolution cryo-EM reconstructions of the complex, aided by an antibody recognizing the C-terminus of WzyE, reveals WzyE sits in the central membrane lumen formed by the octameric arrangement of the transmembrane helices of WzzE. The pairing of Wzy and Wzz is found in polymerization systems for other bacterial polymers, including lipopolysaccharide O-antigens and capsular polysaccharides. The data provide new structural insight into a conserved mechanism for regulating polysaccharide chain length in bacteria.

PubMed: 36944376
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220373

Experimental method

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (3.6 Å)