Overview

• A team led by Dr. Manjula Reddy at CSIR-CCMB in Hyderabad identified PgeF as a novel proofreading enzyme in bacterial cell wall synthesis.
• High-resolution mass spectrometry and genetic analysis showed PgeF selectively removes misincorporated amino acids to preserve peptidoglycan integrity.
• Researchers found that replacing L-alanine with L-serine or glycine weakens the cell wall, increasing bacterial vulnerability to existing antibiotics.
• The study’s findings were published in the July 2025 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Discovery of the human homolog LACC1, linked to autoinflammatory disorders, is driving new research into its role in immune regulation and therapy development.