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On the basis of sequence similarity, a number of transferases have been proposed [1,2,3,4] to belong to a single family. These proteins are:

• Serine O-acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.30) (SAT) (gene cysE), an enzyme involved in cysteine biosynthesis.
• Azotobacter chroococcum nitrogen fixation protein nifP. NifP is most probably a SAT involved in the optimization of nitrogenase activity.
• Escherichia coli thiogalactoside acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.18) (gene lacA), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of lactose.
• UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.129) (gene lpxA), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of lipid A, a phosphorylated glycolipid that anchors the lipopolysaccharide to the outer membrane of the cell.
• UDP-3-O-[3-hydroxymyristoyl] glucosamine N-acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.-) (gene lpxD or firA), which is also involved in the biosynthesis of lipid A.
• Chloramphenicol O-acetyltransferase (CAT) (EC 2.3.1.28) from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus sphaericus, Escherichia coli plasmid IncFII NR79, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pIP630. These CAT are not evolutionary related to the main family of CAT (see <PDOC00093>).
• Rhizobium nodulation protein nodL. NodL is an acetyltransferase involved in the O-acetylation of Nod factors.
• Bacterial maltose O-acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.79).
• Bacterial tetrahydrodipicolinate N-succinyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.117) (gene dapD) which catalyzes the fourth step in the biosynthesis of diaminopimelate and lysine from aspartate semialdehyde.
• Bacterial N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.23) (gene glmU or gcaD or tms), an enzyme involved in peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis.
• Staphylococcus aureus protein capG which is involved in biosynthesis of type 1 capsular polysaccharide.
• Yeast hypothetical protein YJL218w, which is highly similar to Escherichia coli lacA.
• Fission yeast hypothetical protein SpAC18B11.09c.
• Methanococcus jannaschii hypothetical protein MJ1064.

These proteins have been shown [3,4] to contain a repeat structure composed of tandem repeats of a [LIV]-G-x(4) hexapeptide which, in the tertiary structure of lpxA [5], has been shown to form a left-handed parallel β helix. Our signature pattern is based on a fourfold repeat of this hexapeptide.

Roy P.H.

July 1998 / Text revised.

PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:

HEXAPEP_TRANSFERASES, PS00101; Hexapeptide-repeat containing-transferases signature  (PATTERN)

Consensus pattern: [LIV]-[GAED]-x(2)-[STAV]-x-[LIV]-x(3)-[LIVAC]-x-[LIV]-[GAED]-x(2)-[STAVR]-x-[LIV]-[GAED]-x(2)-[STAV]-x-[LIV]-x(3)-[LIV] Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL Other sequence(s) detected in Swiss-Prot: 2.

• Retrieve an alignment of Swiss-Prot true positive hits:   Clustal format, color, condensed view  / Clustal format, color  / Clustal format, plain text  / Fasta format • Retrieve the sequence logo from the alignment • Taxonomic tree view of all Swiss-Prot/TrEMBL entries matching PS00101 • Retrieve a list of all Swiss-Prot/TrEMBL entries matching PS00101 • Scan Swiss-Prot/TrEMBL entries against PS00101 • view ligand binding statistics

Matching PDB structures: 1G95 1G97 1HM0 1HM8 ... [ALL]

1	Authors	Downie J.A.
	Title	The nodL gene from Rhizobium leguminosarum is homologous to the acetyl transferases encoded by lacA and cysE.
	Source	Mol. Microbiol. 3:1649-1651(1989).
	PubMed ID	2615659

2	Authors	Parent R., Roy P.H.
	Title	The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene of Tn2424: a new breed of cat.
	Source	J. Bacteriol. 174:2891-2897(1992).
	PubMed ID	1314803

3	Authors	Vaara M.
	Title	Eight bacterial proteins, including UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (LpxA) and three other transferases of Escherichia coli, consist of a six-residue periodicity theme.
	Source	FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 76:249-254(1992).
	PubMed ID	1427014

4	Authors	Vuorio R., Haerkonen T., Tolvanen M., Vaara M.
	Title	The novel hexapeptide motif found in the acyltransferases LpxA and LpxD of lipid A biosynthesis is conserved in various bacteria.
	Source	FEBS Lett. 337:289-292(1994).
	PubMed ID	8293817

5	Authors	Raetz C.R.H., Roderick S.L.
	Title	A left-handed parallel beta helix in the structure of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase.
	Source	Science 270:997-1000(1995).
	PubMed ID	7481807

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