Reconstituting poly(glycerol phosphate) wall teichoic acid biosynthesis in vitro using authentic substrates

Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are phosphate-rich anionic polymers that constitute a substantial portion of the Gram-positive cell wall. Recent work has demonstrated the importance of WTAs in cell shape, virulence and antibiotic resistance. These findings highlight WTA biosynthetic enzymes as attractive targets for novel antimicrobial agents. Due to challenges involved in the isolation of natural substrates, in vitro studies of the recombinant …