LD-transpeptidation is crucial for fitness and polar growth in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Peptidoglycan (PG), a mesh-like structure which is the primary component of the bacterial cell wall, is crucial to maintain cell integrity and shape. While most bacteria rely on penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) for crosslinking, some species also employ LD-transpeptidases (LDTs). Unlike PBPs, the essentiality and biological functions of LDTs remain largely unclear. The Hyphomicrobiales order of the Alphaproteobacteria, known for their polar growth, have PG which is unusually rich …