Structure, Function, and Regulation of LytA: The N-Acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine Amidase Driving the “Suicidal Tendencies” of Streptococcus pneumoniae—A Review
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a significant human pathogen responsible for a range of diseases from mild infections to invasive pneumococcal disease, particularly affecting children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Despite pneumococcal conjugate vaccines reducing the incidence of pneumococcal diseases, challenges persist due to serotype diversity, vaccine coverage gaps, and antibiotic resistance. The LytA autolysin, an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase, is a key enzyme in pneumococcal biology, regulating autolysis and contributing to virulence by facilitating bacterial clearance, inflammation, and biofilm dynamics. LytA also plays an important role in pneumococcal immune evasion by modulating complement activation. Its activity is influenced by environmental factors, genetic regulation, and spatial control and is linked to competence for genetic transformation. Beyond its biological role, LytA is a potential therapeutic target, with studies exploring its application in bacteriolytic treatments, vaccine development, and synergistic antibiotic strategies. Various compounds, including synthetic peptides, plant extracts, and small molecules, have been investigated for their ability to induce LytA-mediated bacterial lysis. Future research aims to develop novel anti-pneumococcal strategies leveraging LytA’s properties, while also addressing limitations in vaccine efficacy and emerging antibiotic resistance. Human challenge models and animal studies…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Structural and topological analysis of thiosemicarbazone-based metal complexes: computational and experimental study of bacterial biofilm inhibition and antioxidant activity
- Toward better cures for Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease
- Challenges for global antibiotic regimen planning and establishing antimicrobial resistance targets: implications for the WHO Essential Medicines List and AWaRe antibiotic book dosing
- Design, Synthesis and In vitro Antitubercular Effect of New Chalcone Derivatives Coupled with 1,2,3‐Triazoles: A Computational Docking Techniques
- Upregulation of pmrA, pmrB, pmrC, phoQ, phoP, and arnT genes contributing to resistance to colistin in superbug Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from human clinical samples in Tehran, Iran
- Whole-genome sequencing of clinical isolates of Citrobacter Europaeus in China carrying blaOXA−48 and blaNDM−1
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.