Abstract
In the environment bacteria share their habitat with a great diversity of organisms, from microbes to humans, animals and plants. In these complex communities, the production of extracellular effectors is a common strategy to control the biodiversity by interfering with the growth and/or viability of nearby microbes. One of such effectors relies on the production and release of extracellular D-amino acids which regulate diverse cellular processes such as cell wall biogenesis, biofilm integrity, and spore germination. Non-canonical D-amino acids are mainly produced by broad spectrum racemases (Bsr). Bsr’s promiscuity allows it to generate high concentrations of D-amino acids in environments with variable compositions of L-amino acids. However, it was not clear until recent whether these molecules exhibit divergent functions. Here we review the distinctive biological roles of D-amino acids, their mechanisms of action and their modulatory properties of the biodiversity of complex eco-systems.
Highlights
Amino acids have an α-carbon that is connected to four functional groups: an amine group (−NH2), a carboxyl group (−COOH), a hydrogen (−H) and a side chain (−R)
The presence of D-amino acids in the peptide moieties of the PG of bacteria makes the cell wall invulnerable to most proteases designed to cleave between L-amino acids
Given the great importance of D-amino acids, the bacteria that produce them play a key role in the regulation of L- and Damino acids availability in various environments
Summary
Amino acids have an α-carbon that is connected to four functional groups: an amine group (−NH2), a carboxyl group (−COOH), a hydrogen (−H) and a side chain (−R). Lam et al (2009) reported that diverse bacterial species produce and release to the environment different sets of D-amino acids (non-canonical D-amino acids or NCDAAs) in millimolar range concentration.
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