N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase

In enzymology, a N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase (EC 3.5.1.28) is an enzyme that catalyzes a chemical reaction that cleaves the link between N-acetylmuramoyl residues and L-amino acid residues in certain cell-wall glycopeptides.

This enzyme belongs to the family of hydrolases, specifically those acting on carbon-nitrogen bonds other than peptide bonds in linear amides. The systematic name of this enzyme class is peptidoglycan amidohydrolase. Other names in common use include acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, N-acylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, acetylmuramoyl-alanine amidase, N-acetylmuramic acid L-alanine amidase, acetylmuramyl-alanine amidase, N-acetylmuramylalanine amidase, murein hydrolase, N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase type I, and N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase type II. This enzyme participates in peptidoglycan biosynthesis.

Structural studies

As of late 2007, 13 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes 1ARO, 1GVM, 1H8G, 1HCX, 1J3G, 1JWQ, 1LBA, 1X60, 1XOV, 2AR3, 2BGX, 2BH7, and 2BML.

See also

• Autolysins

References

• Campbell JN; Dierickx, L; Coyette, J; Leyh-Bouille, M; Guinand, M; Campbell, JN (1969). "An improved technique for the preparation of Streptomyces peptidases and N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase active on bacterial wall peptidoglycans". Biochemistry. 8 (1): 213–22. doi:10.1021/bi00829a031. PMID 5777325. 
• Herbold DR, Glaser L (1975). "Interaction of N-acetylmuramic acid L-alanine amidase with cell wall polymers". J. Biol. Chem. 250 (18): 7231–8. PMID 809432. 
• Herbold DR, Glaser L (1975). "Bacillus subtilis N-acetylmuramic acid L-alanine amidase". J. Biol. Chem. 250 (5): 1676–82. PMID 803507. 
• Ward JB, Curtis CA, Taylor C, Buxton RS (1982). "Purification and characterization of two phage PBSX-induced lytic enzymes of Bacillus subtilis 168: an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase and an N-acetylmuramidase". J. Gen. Microbiol. 128 (6): 1171–8. PMID 6126517.