Géraud Nicolas, Rivière Chloé, Falcou Camille, Cioci Gianluca, Froment Carine, Gervais Virginie, Marcoux Julien, Gilleron Martine, Nigou Jérôme, Fabre Emeline, Rivière Michel
Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France.
Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules, UMR7257 CNRS - Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
Commun Biol. 2025 Aug 7;8(1):1175. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08593-9.
We have previously demonstrated that protein-O-mannosylation (POM), a widespread post-translational glycosyl modification of proteins, is a key virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the world's deadliest infectious agent. Here, we report a detailed analysis of the structure-function relationship of MtPMT, the enzyme that catalyzes POM in Mtb. Using mutagenesis and in cellulo monitoring of POM activity, we demonstrate that, despite notable structural differences, MtPMT shares functional homologies with yeasts' PMTs in the mechanism of the sugar transfer from lipidic donors. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the selectivity for proline-rich target glycosylation sites that differentiates MtPMT from its eukaryotic homologues, relies on a WW-like domain, which preferentially interacts with proline-rich acceptor substrate analogues. This first identification of a functional WW-like domain in a prokaryotic protein raises questions about its potential evolutionary linkage with eukaryotic WW modules and provides new insights into PMT's acceptor-substrate recognition mechanism paving the way for the development selective inhibitors of MtPMT with potential therapeutic application against tuberculosis.
我们之前已经证明,蛋白质O-甘露糖基化(POM)是一种广泛存在的蛋白质翻译后糖基修饰,是世界上最致命的传染因子——结核分枝杆菌(Mtb)的关键毒力因子。在此,我们报告了对Mtb中催化POM的酶MtbPMT的结构-功能关系的详细分析。通过诱变和细胞内POM活性监测,我们证明,尽管存在显著的结构差异,但MtbPMT在脂质供体的糖基转移机制上与酵母的PMT具有功能同源性。此外,我们提供的证据表明,MtbPMT与其真核同源物在富含脯氨酸的靶糖基化位点上的选择性,依赖于一个类WW结构域,该结构域优先与富含脯氨酸的受体底物类似物相互作用。在原核蛋白中首次鉴定出功能性类WW结构域,引发了关于其与真核WW模块潜在进化联系的问题,并为PMT的受体-底物识别机制提供了新的见解,为开发具有抗结核潜在治疗应用的MtbPMT选择性抑制剂铺平了道路。