Identification of a Polyprenylphosphomannosyl Synthase Involved in the Synthesis of Mycobacterial Mannosides

We report on the identification of a glycosyltransferase (GT) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Rv3779, of the membranous GT-C superfamily responsible for the direct synthesis of polyprenyl-phospho-mannopyranose and thus indirectly for lipoarabinomannan, lipomannan, and the higher-order phosphatidyl- myo -inositol mannosides.