New Insights Into the Mechanisms and Biological Roles of D-Amino Acids in Complex Eco-Systems
2018 (English)In: Frontiers in Microbiology, ISSN 1664-302X, E-ISSN 1664-302X, Vol. 9, article id 683
Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
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.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media S.A., 2018. Vol. 9, article id 683
Keywords [en]
D-amino acids, D-methionine, D-arginine, bacteria, cell wall, Vibrio cholerae
National Category
Microbiology in the medical area
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-147303DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00683ISI: 000429347700001PubMedID: 29681896OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-147303DiVA, id: diva2:1210336
2018-05-282018-05-282018-06-09Bibliographically approved