Disease relevance of galU

• Escherichia coli cells harboring the recombinant plasmid pMMG2 (galU) overproduced a protein that has been shown to correspond to a uridine 5'-triphosphate:glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (uridine diphosphoglucose [UDP-Glc] pyrophosphorylase) responsible for the synthesis of UDP-Glc, a key compound in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides [1].
• The galU gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been cloned and sequenced [1].
• A gene very similar to the S. pneumoniae galU has been found in a partial nucleotide sequence of the Streptococcus pyogenes genome [1].
• A gene encoding glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.9) was isolated from Streptococcus mutans [2].

High impact information on galU

• Surprisingly, single expression of galU also resulted in an increase in the accumulated trehalose [3].
• Expression of the galU otsBA synthetic operon resulted in a sixfold increase in the accumulated and excreted trehalose relative to that in a wild-type strain [3].
• Mutants unable to synthesize trehalose (galU, otsA, and otsB) were osmotically sensitive in glucose-mineral medium [4].
• One opp locus was trp linked and mapped to the interval between att phi 80 and galU [5].
• A locus involved in kanamycin, chloramphenicol and L-serine resistance is located in the bglY-galU region of the Escherichia coli K12 chromosome [6].

Chemical compound and disease context of galU

• In this paper we describe improvement of the UDP-glucose supply through heterologous expression in C. glutamicum of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene from Escherichia coli, either expressed alone or coexpressed with the E. coli ots genes (galU otsBA synthetic operon) [3].
• cur-1, a mutation found in many strains of the Y10 line of Escherichia coli K-12, but not previously described, maps at 27 min, close to galU. cur-1 causes mucoidity or uracil requirement at 29 degree C depending on the genetic background [7].
• The glucose 1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (GalU) is absolutely required for the biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharide, the sine qua non virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae [8].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of galU

• The lactococcal galU gene was identified by a PCR approach using degenerate primers and was found by Northern blot analysis to be transcribed in a monocistronic RNA [9].

References