The alanine racemase of Mycobacterium smegmatis is essential for growth in the absence of D-alanine.
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.
Milligan
Daniel L
DL
Department of Biochemistry, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Tran
Sieu L
SL
Strych
Ulrich
U
Cook
Gregory M
GM
Krause
Kurt L
KL
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