Glycobiology Advance Access published online on August 22, 2008
Glycobiology, doi:10.1093/glycob/cwn076
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Review |
The Mycobacterial Glycopeptidolipids: structure, function and their role in pathogenesis
Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 130 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556. Phone: (574) 631-3734. Fax: (574) 631-7413. e-mail: Schorey.1{at}nd.edu
Received on April 7, 2008; accepted on August 5, 2008
Glycopeptidolipids (GPLs) are a class of glycolipids produced by several non-tuberculosis-causing members of the Mycobacterium genus including pathogenic and non-pathogenic species. GPLs are expressed in different forms with production of highly antigenic, typeable serovar-specific GPLs in members of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). M. avium and M. intracellulare, which comprise this complex, are slow-growing mycobacteria noted for producing disseminated infections in AIDS patients, and pulmonary infections in non-AIDS patients. Previous studies have defined the gene cluster responsible for GPL biosynthesis and more recent work has characterized the function of the individual genes. Current research has also focused on the GPLs role in colony morphology, sliding motility, biofilm formation, immune modulation and virulence, and along with recent advances in our understanding of GPL biosynthesis is the subject of this review.
Key words: biofilm / GPL / morphology / mycobacteria / review