LipidII interaction with specific residues of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PknB extracytoplasmic domain governs its optimal activation

Abstract

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis kinase PknB regulates essential cell functions via interactions with muropeptides. Here the authors identify interaction sites in the extracytoplasmic PASTA domain and show that abrogation of ligand binding leads to a hyper-activated kinase, causing loss of homeostasis and cell death.