title: Genomic analysis reveals the biotechnological ability of Enterococcus italicus to produce glutathione.
abstract: Through the analysis of the recently available genome shotgun sequence of Enterococcus italicus DSM 15952(T) type strain (Accession PRJNA61487, ID 61487), we found the presence of a gene encoding a bifunctional enzyme, termed γ-GCS-GS or GshF, involved in glutathione production and not influenced by feedback inhibition. The gshF gene exhibited high nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarity to other reported sequences from the Enterococcus genus and was constitutively expressed both in osmotic shock or in common cultural conditions. Several experimental studies concerning the culture medium, physiological stress, cell extract obtainment, and scaling-up showed that in selected conditions E. italicus was able to accumulate up to 250 μM of intracellular glutathione, which represented the main thiol group present into the cells. This is the first report regarding the production of glutathione by E. italicus, a species that could be used as a safe adjunct culture for glutathione-enriched dairy foods.
authors: Division of Food Microbiology and Bioprocesses, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences-DeFENS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2 Celoria, 20134 Milan, Italy. francesca.borgo@unimi.it
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Borgo
authors: Aristodemo
authors: A
authors: Carpen
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Ferrario
authors: Stefania
authors: S
authors: Iametti
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Fortina
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019149:Bioreactors; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005978:Glutathione