title: Ectoine biosynthesis in Mycobacterium smegmatis.
abstract: Mycobacterium smegmatis is a commonly used mycobacterial model system. Here, we show that M. smegmatis protects itself against elevated salinity by synthesizing ectoine and hydroxyectoine and characterize the phenotype of a nonproducing mutant. This is the first analysis of M. smegmatis halotolerance and of the molecular mechanism that supports it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ofer
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wishkautzan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meijler
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Speer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niederweis
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gur
mesh_terms: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D054712:Salinity; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
chemical_list: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino; C121557:hydroxyectoine; C045628:ectoine