Properties of cell wall-associated DD-carbossipeptidase of Enterococcus hirae (Streptococcus faecium) ATCC 9790

DD-Carboxypeptidase (DD-CPase) activity of Enterococcus hirae (Streptococcus faecium) ATCC 9790 was extracted from intact bacteria and from the insoluble residue (crude cell wall fraction) of mechanically disrupted bacteria by a brief treatment at pH 10.0 (10 mM glycine-NaOH) at 0 degrees C or by extraction with any of several detergents. Extractions with high salt concentrations failed to remove DD-CPase activity from the crude wall fraction. In contrast to N-acetylmuramoylhydrolase (both muramidase 2 and muramidase 1) activities, DD-CPase activity failed to bind to insoluble cell walls or peptidoglycan matrices. Thus, whereas muramidase 1 and muramidase 2 activities can be considered to be cell wall proteins, the bulk of the data are consistent with the interpretation that the DD-CPase of this species is a membrane protein that is sometimes found in the cell wall fraction, presumably because of hydrophobic interactions with other proteins and cell wall polymers. The binding of [14C]penicillin to penicillin-binding protein 6 (43 kilodaltons) was proportional to DD-CPase activity. Kinetic parameters were also consistent with the presence of only one DD-CPase (penicillin-binding protein 6) in E. hirae.