Lyme Disease Enolpyruvyl-UDP-GlcNAc Synthase: Fosfomycin-Resistant MurA from Borrelia burgdorferi, a Fosfomycin-Sensitive Mutant, and the Catalytic Role of the Active Site Asp

MurAs (enolpyruvyl-UDP-GlcNAc synthases) from pathogenic bacteria such as Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) and tuberculosis are fosfomycin resistant because an Asp-for-Cys substitution prevents them from being alkylated by this epoxide antibiotic. Previous attempts to characterize naturally Asp-containing MurAs have resulted in no protein or no activity. We have expressed and characterized His-tagged Lyme disease MurA (Bb_MurA(H6)). The …