Crystal structures of phosphatidyl serine synthase PSS reveal the catalytic mechanism of CDP-DAG alcohol O-phosphatidyl transferases

Abstract

CDP-diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) alcohol O-phosphatidyl transferases (CDP-APs) are conserved in archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes and catalyze the de novo synthesis of phospho-lipids from the precursor CDP-DAG and an alcohol. Here, the authors present the crystal structures of the Methanocaldococcus jannaschii phosphatidyl serine synthase (MjPSS) in four different states and suggest a model for its catalytic mechanism.