title: Glutathione synthesis in Streptococcus agalactiae. One protein accounts for gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase activities.
abstract: Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GS), distinct enzymes that together account for glutathione (GSH) synthesis, have been isolated and characterized from several Gram-negative prokaryotes and from numerous eukaryotes including mammals, amphibians, plants, yeast, and protozoa. Glutathione synthesis is relatively uncommon among the Gram-positive bacteria, and, to date, neither the genes nor the proteins involved have been identified. In the present report, we show that crude extracts of Streptococcus agalactiae catalyze the gamma-GCS and GS reactions and can synthesize GSH from its constituent amino acids. The putative gene for S. agalactiae gamma-GCS was identified and cloned, and the corresponding protein was expressed and purified. Surprisingly, it was found that the isolated enzyme catalyzes both the ATP-dependent synthesis of L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteine from L-glutamate and L-cysteine and the ATP-dependent synthesis of GSH from L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteine and glycine. This novel bifunctional enzyme, referred to as gamma-GCS-GS, has been characterized in terms of catalytic activity, substrate specificity, and inhibition by GSH, cystamine, and transition state analog sulfoximines. The N-terminal 518 amino acids of gamma-GCS-GS (total M(r) 85,000) show 32% identity and 43% similarity with E. coli gamma-GCS (M(r) 58,000), but the C-terminal putative GS domain (remaining 202 amino acids) of gamma-GCS-GS shows no significant homology with known GS sequences. The C terminus (360 amino acids) is, however, homologous to D-Ala, D-Ala ligase (24% identity; 38% similarity), an enzyme having the same protein fold as known GS proteins. These results are discussed in terms of the evolution of GSH synthesis and the possible occurrence of a similar bifunctional GSH synthesis enzyme in other bacterial species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Blythe E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Janowiak
authors.forename: Owen W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D019328:Buthionine Sulfoximine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005981:Glutathione Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019328:Buthionine Sulfoximine; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase; D005981:Glutathione Synthase; D005978:Glutathione