A. L. Lovering

The mycobacterial glycoside hydrolase LamH enables capsular arabinomannan release and stimulates growth

This study identifies LamH, a glycoside hydrolase that cleaves -1,6-mannoside linkages in LAM/LM, enabling their export to the capsule and promoting bacterial growth.

Mining the human gut microbiome identifies mycobacterial D-arabinan degrading enzymes

The paper identifies D-arabinan degrading enzymes in the human gut microbiome, including new families of glycoside hydrolases and mycobacterial enzymes involved in cell wall degradation.

NamZ1 and NamZ2 from the oral pathogen Tannerella forsythia are peptidoglycan processing exo-β-N-acetylmuramidases with distinct substrate specificity

This study identifies two exo-β-N-acetylmuramidases from Tannerella forsythia with distinct substrate specificities, revealing functional diversity in PGN degradation.

Asymmetric peptidoglycan editing generates the curvature of predatory bacteria, optimizing invasion and replication within a spherical prey niche

The paper identifies Bd1075 as a peptidoglycan-editing enzyme in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus that generates asymmetric curvature, enhancing invasion and replication within spherical prey.

Structures of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus phosphoglucose isomerase reveal novel rigidity in the active site of a selected subset of enzymes upon substrate binding.

The paper presents the structures of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus phosphoglucose isomerase, revealing a novel mechanism of substrate binding that does not require induced-fit conformational changes.

Structure-function characterization of the conserved regulatory mechanism of the Escherichia coli M48 metalloprotease BepA

The paper presents the crystal structure of E. coli BepA, an M48 metalloprotease, and shows that its active site plug regulates function and is conserved across the family.

Structure-function analysis of the Escherichia coli β-barrel assembly enhancing protease BepA suggests a role for a self-inhibitory state

This study presents the crystal structure of BepA, a protease involved in LptD folding, and shows its auto-regulation and role in maintaining outer membrane lipid asymmetry.

Evidence for phospholipid export from the gram-negative inner membrane: time to rethink the Mla pathway?

The paper solves the crystal structure of MlaC and shows the Mla pathway exports phospholipids from the inner membrane to the periplasm, challenging the previous belief in retrograde transport.

The hydrolase LpqI primes mycobacterial peptidoglycan recycling.

This study shows that Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis BCG recycle peptidoglycan via the LpqI enzyme, which is essential for amino sugar recycling and affects antimicrobial resistance.