Cryo-EM Structure of Salmonella typhimurium ArnC; the Key Enzyme in Lipid-A Modification Conferring Polymyxin Resistance

Polymyxins are last-resort antimicrobial peptides administered clinically against multi-drug resistant bacteria, including Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. However, an increasing number of pathogens employ a defense strategy involving a relay of enzymes encoded by the pmrE(ugd) loci and the arnBCDTEF operon. As a result, an Ara-4N headgroup is added to the lipid-A component of outer membrane (OM) lipopolysaccharides (LPS) rendering polymyxins ineffective. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of glycosyltransferase ArnC from Salmonella typhimurium resolved in both apo and UDP-bound forms at resolutions 2.75 Å and 3.8 Å, respectively. The structure of the ArnC protomer comprises of three distinct regions: an N-terminal glycosyltransferase domain, transmembrane region, and the interface helices (IHs). ArnC forms a stable tetramer with C2 symmetry through interactions in the C-terminal region, which is expected to protrude into the cytosol, where the β8 strand inserts into the adjacent protomer. ArnC protomers have two distinct types of interfaces involving multiple hydrogen bonds and salt bridges. The binding of UDP induces conformational changes that stabilizes structurally labile A-loop, spanning residues 201 to 213, and part of the putative catalytic pocket formed by IH1 and IH2. The comparative analysis of ArnC structures with homologs GtrB and DPMS suggests the key residues involved in ArnC catalytic activity.