title: Bacillithiol is an antioxidant thiol produced in Bacilli.
abstract: Glutathione is a nearly ubiquitous, low-molecular-mass thiol and antioxidant, but it is conspicuously absent from most Gram-positive bacteria. We identify here the structure of bacillithiol, a newly described and abundant thiol produced by Bacillus species, Staphylococcus aureus and Deinococcus radiodurans. Bacillithiol is the alpha-anomeric glycoside of L-cysteinyl-D-glucosamine with L-malic acid and most probably functions as an antioxidant. Bacillithiol, like the structurally similar mycothiol, may serve as a substitute for glutathione.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
authors: Gerald L
authors: GL
authors: Newton
authors: Mamta
authors: M
authors: Rawat
authors: James J
authors: JJ
authors: La Clair
authors: Vishnu Karthik
authors: VK
authors: Jothivasan
authors: Tanya
authors: T
authors: Budiarto
authors: Chris J
authors: CJ
authors: Hamilton
authors: Al
authors: A
authors: Claiborne
authors: John D
authors: JD
authors: Helmann
authors: Robert C
authors: RC
authors: Fahey
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D034301:Deinococcus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000378:metabolism*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C543521:bacillithiol; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine; D005944:Glucosamine