A metagenomic approach to the identification of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase as a menadione resistance protein.
Quinones are potentially toxic agents that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon reduction. We screened a metagenomic library for a menadione resistance gene to identify UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (UGE). Escherichia coli carrying the gene became resistant to various quinones, but not to ROS. Because UGE is involved in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharides, it may have contributed to forming a permeability barrier against lipophilic quinones.
Institute for Biological Resources and Functions, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan.
Toshio
T
Mori
Hikaru
H
Suenaga
Kentaro
K
Miyazaki
D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014534:UDPglucose 4-Epimerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D024483:Vitamin K 3 / Q000494:pharmacology*
D024483:Vitamin K 3; D014534:UDPglucose 4-Epimerase