RESEARCH ARTICLE Specificity in glycosylation of multiple flagellins by the modular and cell cycle regulated glycosyltransferase FlmG Silvia Ardissone†, Nicolas Kint, Patrick H Viollier* Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of Geneva, Gene`ve, Switzerland Abstract How specificity is programmed into post-translational modification of proteins by glycosylation is poorly understood, especially for O-linked glycosylation systems. Here we reconstitute and dissect the substrate specificity underpinning the cytoplasmic O-glycosylation pathway that modifies all six flagellins, five structural and one regulatory paralog, in Caulobacter crescentus, a monopolarly flagellated alpha-proteobacterium. We characterize the biosynthetic pathway for the sialic acid-like sugar pseudaminic acid and show its requirement for flagellation, flagellin modification and efficient export. The cognate NeuB enzyme that condenses phosphoenolpyruvate with a hexose into pseudaminic acid is functionally interchangeable with other pseudaminic acid synthases. The previously unknown and cell cycle-regulated FlmG protein, a defining member of a new class of cytoplasmic O-glycosyltransferases, is required and sufficient for flagellin modification. The substrate specificity of FlmG is conferred by its N-terminal flagellin- binding domain. FlmG accumulates before the FlaF secretion chaperone, potentially timing flagellin modification, export, and assembly during the cell division cycle. *For correspondence:
[email protected] Present address: †Center for Research on Intracellular Introduction Bacteria, Institute of Post-translational protein modification is essential for various facets in cellular biology, ranging from Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of gene regulation to the organization of cellular structures. In all cases, biological function underlies Lausanne, Bugnon, Switzerland the capacity to specifically identify and modify the correct target protein.