This entry includes family members such as EarP enzymes which are essential for post-translational activation of elongation factor P(EF-P). It was identified as EF-P arginine R32 specific rhamnosyl transferase in Shewanella oneidensis using dTDP-beta-L-rhamnose as donor substrate [1]. This was further confirmed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa [2], Pseudomonas putida [3] and Neisseria meningitidis [4]. As for S. oneidensis [5] and P. aeruginosa [6], EarP enzyme acts as an inverting glycosyltransferase, thus mediating the formation of an alpha-L-rhamnosidic linkage. Structural analysis show that EarP is composed of two opposing domains with Rossmann folds, thus constituting a B pattern-type glycosyltransferase (GT-B) and provide basis for arginine glycosylation by EarP [3]. Mutational analysis of efp and earP genes, resulted in a substantial decrease in the production of rhamnolipids and pyocyanin (important factors for colonization and invasion during infection) of P. aeruginosa. Collectively this indicates that EarP and EF-P are essential for P. aeruginosa pathogenicity [1].The protein family is also annotated in the CaZy Database as GT104.

1: Arginine-rhamnosylation as new strategy to activate translation elongation factor P. Lassak J, Keilhauer EC, Furst M, Wuichet K, Godeke J, Starosta AL, Chen JM, Sogaard-Andersen L, Rohr J, Wilson DN, Haussler S, Mann M, Jung K; Nat Chem Biol. 2015;11:266-270. PMID:25686373

2: Cyclic Rhamnosylated Elongation Factor P Establishes Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Rajkovic A, Erickson S, Witzky A, Branson OE, Seo J, Gafken PR, Frietas MA, Whitelegge JP, Faull KF, Navarre W, Darwin AJ, Ibba M; MBio. 2015;6:e00823. PMID:26060278

3: Structural Basis for EarP-Mediated Arginine Glycosylation of Translation Elongation Factor EF-P. Krafczyk R, Macosek J, Jagtap PKA, Gast D, Wunder S, Mitra P, Jha AK, Rohr J, Hoffmann-Roder A, Jung K, Hennig J, Lassak J; MBio. 2017; [Epub ahead of print] PMID:28951478

4: Neisseria meningitidis Translation Elongation Factor P and Its Active-Site Arginine Residue Are Essential for Cell Viability. Yanagisawa T, Takahashi H, Suzuki T, Masuda A, Dohmae N, Yokoyama S; PLoS One. 2016;11:e0147907. PMID:26840407

5: Resolving the alpha-glycosidic linkage of arginine-rhamnosylated translation elongation factor P triggers generation of the first ArgRha specific antibody. Li X, Krafczyk R, Macosek J, Li YL, Zou Y, Simon B, Pan X, Wu QY, Yan F, Li S, Hennig J, Jung K, Lassak J, Hu HG; Chem Sci. 2016;7:6995-7001. PMID:28451135

6: Synthesis of rhamnosylated arginine glycopeptides and determination of the glycosidic linkage in bacterial elongation factor P. Wang S, Corcilius L, Sharp PP, Rajkovic A, Ibba M, Parker BL, Payne RJ; Chem Sci. 2017;8:2296-2302. PMID:28451332