C55-isoprenyl pyrophosphate (undecaprenyl pyrophosphate; C55-PP) is an essential molecule involved in construction of the bacterial
peptidoglycan cell wall
A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mech ...
.
It is a receptor found in the
plasma membrane of bacteria that allows glycan tetrapeptide monomers synthesized in the cell
cytoplasm
In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. The ...
to translocate to the periplasmic space.
A related compound is C55-P (
undecaprenyl phosphate
Undecaprenyl phosphate (UP), also known lipid-P, bactoprenol and C55-P., is a molecule with the primary function of trafficking polysaccharides across the cell membrane, largely contributing to the overall structure of the cell wall in Gram-posit ...
), differing by having one fewer phosphate group. It is produced from C55-PP by reaction
EC 3.6.1.27, typically catalyzed by UppP/BacA. C55-P is recycled back into C55-PP later in the process. C55-OH is known as
bactoprenol
Bactoprenol also known as dolichol-11 and (isomerically vaguely) C55-isoprenyl alcohol (C55-OH) is a lipid first identified in certain species of lactobacili. It is a hydrophobic alcohol that plays a key role in the growth of cell walls (peptido ...
.
References
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Organophosphates
Terpenes and terpenoids