Membrane linkage of a Streptococcus pneumoniae Wzy capsular polysaccharide occurs through an acylglycerol

Capsular polysaccharides (capsules) protect bacteria from environmental insults and can contribute to virulence in pathogenic bacteria. Their appropriate display on the bacterial surface is critical to their functions. In Gram-positive bacteria, most capsules are synthesized by the Wzy polymerase-dependent pathway, which is also utilized in the synthesis of many capsules and O-antigens of Gram-negative bacteria. Synthesis of capsule repeat units initiates on undecaprenyl-phosphate on the inner face of the cytoplasmic membrane, with polymerization occurring on the outer face of the membrane. In Gram-positive bacteria, the capsule can be transferred to peptidoglycan, as in Streptococcus pneumoniae where a direct glycosidic bond to the peptidoglycan N-acetylglucosamine occurs. In S. pneumoniae, capsule can also be detected on the membrane, and this has generally been assumed to reflect polysaccharide that is linked to undecaprenyl-phosphate and in the process of synthesis. We provide evidence here, however, that final membrane linkage occurs through an acylglycerol, and essentially all of the polysaccharide is transferred from the initial undecaprenyl-phosphate acceptor to an alternate acceptor. This step allows for recycling of undecaprenyl-phosphate and represents an additional terminal step in capsule synthesis. In this regard, capsule synthesis resembles that of the wall- and lipoteichoic acids of S. pneumoniae, wherein a common repeat unit and polymer structure are synthesized by the Wzy pathway with divergence at the terminal step that results in linkages to peptidoglycan and a membrane acylglycerol anchor. IMPORTANCELinkage of capsular polysaccharides to the bacterial cell surface is a critical step in assuring the ability of these polymers to fulfill their functions, such as the resistance to complement-mediated phagocytosis that can be essential for pathogenic organisms to survive in host environments. Knowledge of the mechanisms by which these linkages occur is incomplete. In this study, we provide evidence for linkage of an S. pneumoniae Wzy capsule to an acylglycerol, the most abundant class of lipids in the membrane. This linkage provides a terminal acceptor for capsule that occurs in addition to that of peptidoglycan. Transfer to these terminal receptors is an essential step in CPS synthesis, as failure to do so can be lethal for the cell.