title: The alanine racemase of Mycobacterium smegmatis is essential for growth in the absence of D-alanine.
abstract: Alanine racemase, encoded by the gene alr, is an important enzyme in the synthesis of d-alanine for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis with a deletion mutation of the alr gene were found to require d-alanine for growth in both rich and minimal media. This indicates that alanine racemase is the only source of d-alanine for cell wall biosynthesis in M. smegmatis and confirms alanine racemase as a viable target gene for antimycobacterial drug development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Milligan
authors.forename: Sieu L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Strych
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Kurt L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Krause
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D000411:Alanine Racemase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D013997:Time Factors