Disease relevance of cmaA2

• The Mycobacterium tuberculosis cmaA2 gene encodes a mycolic acid trans-cyclopropane synthetase [1].

High impact information on cmaA2

• Here we examine the pathogenetic role and immunomodulatory function of mycolic acid cyclopropane stereochemistry by characterizing an M. tuberculosis cyclopropane-mycolic acid synthase 2 (cmaA2) null mutant (Delta cmaA2) that lacks trans-cyclopropanation of mycolic acids [2].
• These results establish cmaA2-dependent trans-cyclopropanation of TDM as a suppressor of M. tuberculosis-induced inflammation and virulence [2].
• Despite substantial sequence identity, these proteins catalyze highly specific cyclopropane modifications, including proximal modification of the alpha-mycolate (pcaA) and trans-cyclopropane modification (cmaA2) [3].
• These results define cmaA2 as a trans-cyclopropane synthetase and expand our knowledge of the substrate specificity of a large family of highly homologous mycolic acid methyl transferases recently shown to be critical to M. tuberculosis pathogenesis [1].

Associations of cmaA2 with chemical compounds

• Analysis by proton NMR indicates that the mycolic acids of the cmaA2 mutant lack trans-cyclopropane rings but are otherwise intact with respect to cyclopropane and methyl branch content [1].

References