S-formylglutathione hydrolase of Paracoccus denitrificans is homologous to human esterase D: a universal pathway for formaldehyde detoxification?
Downstream of flhA, the Paracoccus denitrificans gene encoding glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase, an open reading frame was identified and called fghA. The gene product of fghA showed appreciable similarity with human esterase D and with the deduced amino acid sequences of open reading frames found in Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mutating fghA strongly reduced S-formylglutathione hydrolase activity. The mutant was unable to grow on methanol and methylamine, indicating that the enzyme is essential for methylotrophic growth. S-Formylglutathione hydrolase appears to be part of a formaldehyde detoxification pathway that is universal in nature.
Department of Microbial Physiology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. harms@bio.vu.nl.
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Harms
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Ras
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Reijnders
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van Spanning
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Stouthamer
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D043182:Carboxylesterase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010231:Paracoccus denitrificans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D005557:Formaldehyde; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; D043182:Carboxylesterase; C020118:ESD protein, human; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases; C020149:s-formylglutathione hydrolase; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases