Filling holes in peptidoglycan biogenesis of Escherichia coli

The peptidoglycan cell wall is an essential mesh-like structure in most bacteria. It is built outside the cytoplasmic membrane by polymerizing a disaccharide-pentapeptide into glycan chains that are crosslinked by peptides. The disaccharide-pentapeptide is synthetized as a lipid-linked precursor called lipid II, which is exported across the cytoplasmic membrane so that synthases can make new glycan chains. Growth of the peptidoglycan wall requires careful balancing of synthesis of glycan chains and hydrolysis of the preexisting structure to allow incorporation of new material. Recent studies in Escherichia coli have advanced our understanding of lipid II translocation across the membrane and how synthases are regulated to ensure proper envelope growth.