The site of inhibition of cell wall synthesis by 3-amino-3-deoxy-D-glucose in Staphylococcus aureus

• Published in: Journal of biochemistry (Tokyo) 1979-07, Vol.86 (1), p.155-159
• Main Authors: TANAKA, Haruo, SHIMIZU, Shōoji, ŌIWA, Ruiko, IWAI, Yuzuru, ŌMURA, Satoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylglucosamine - metabolism; Cell Wall - drug effects; Cell Wall - metabolism; Fructose - metabolism; Glucosamine - metabolism; Glucosamine - pharmacology; Isomerism; Kinetics; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development; Staphylococcus aureus - metabolism
• ISSN: 0021-924X; 1756-2651
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a132496

The inhibition of growth and cell wall synthesis by 3-amino-3-deoxy-D-glucose (3-AG), which is known to be one of the constituents of the kanamycin molecule and a metabolite of Bacillus sp., was almost completely overcome by glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine in Staphylococcus aureus but scarcely affected by D-glucose and D-fructose. The antibiotic did not inhibit the incorporation of [14C]glucosamine and [3H]N-acetylglucosamine into the acidinsoluble fraction, but rather enhanced the incorporation of [14C]glucosamine. On the other hand, it inhibited the incorporation of D-[14C)fructose into the cell wall fraction but hardly affected the incorporation of D-[14C]fructose into the acid-insoluble fraction in the presence of penicillin G. Based on these results, it is suggested that the site of primary action of 3-AG is the formation of glucosamine-6-phosphate from D-fructose-6-phosphate, which is catalyzed by glucosamine synthetase [EC 2.6.1.16].