title: Ergothioneine is a secreted antioxidant in Mycobacterium smegmatis.
abstract: Ergothioneine (ERG) and mycothiol (MSH) are two low-molecular-weight thiols synthesized by mycobacteria. The role of MSH has been extensively investigated in mycobacteria; however, little is known about the role of ERG in mycobacterial physiology. In this study, quantification of ERG at various points in the growth cycle of Mycobacterium smegmatis revealed that a significant portion of ERG is found in the culture media, suggesting that it is actively secreted. A mutant of M. smegmatis lacking egtD (MSMEG_6247) was unable to synthesize ERG, confirming its role in ERG biosynthesis. Deletion of egtD from wild-type M. smegmatis and an MSH-deficient mutant did not affect their susceptibility to antibiotics tested in this study. The ERG- and MSH-deficient double mutant was significantly more sensitive to peroxide than either of the single mutants lacking either ERG or MSH, suggesting that both thiols play a role in protecting M. smegmatis against oxidative stress and that ERG is able to partly compensate for the loss of MSH.
authors: DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. karallia@sun.ac.za
authors: Carine
authors: C
authors: Sao Emani
authors: Monique J
authors: MJ
authors: Williams
authors: Ian J
authors: IJ
authors: Wiid
authors: Nicholas F
authors: NF
authors: Hiten
authors: Albertus J
authors: AJ
authors: Viljoen
authors: Ray-Dean D
authors: RD
authors: Pietersen
authors: Paul D
authors: PD
authors: van Helden
authors: Bienyameen
authors: B
authors: Baker
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004880:Ergothioneine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009154:Mutation; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D006020:Glycopeptides; C089265:mycothiol; D007294:Inositol; D004880:Ergothioneine; D003545:Cysteine
references: Prev Med. 2012 May;54 Suppl:S71-4
references: 22182480
references: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1999 Feb 16;255(2):239-44
references: 10049692
references: Anal Biochem. 2004 Feb 1;325(1):21-7
references: 14715280
references: Eur J Biochem. 1994 Aug 15;224(1):203-13
references: 8076641
references: Methods Enzymol. 1987;143:85-96
references: 3657565
references: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Nov 9;363(1):71-6
references: 17826740
references: J Bacteriol. 1996 Apr;178(7):1990-5
references: 8606174
references: J Proteome Res. 2010 Nov 5;9(11):5816-26
references: 20825248
references: PLoS Pathog. 2011 Sep;7(9):e1002251
references: 21980284
references: Biochem J. 1958 Feb;68(2):204-10
references: 13522601
references: Chem Res Toxicol. 2011 Jan 14;24(1):30-4
references: 21047085
references: Cytometry A. 2004 Oct;61(2):189-95
references: 15382024
references: Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012 May;1822(5):784-93
references: 22001064
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Apr 5;102(14):5256-61
references: 15795384
references: Int J Mass Spectrom. 2011 Aug 15;305(2-3):151-156
references: 21857792
references: J Am Chem Soc. 2010 May 19;132(19):6632-3
references: 20420449
references: Cell Death Differ. 2010 Jul;17(7):1134-40
references: 19911007
references: Mol Microbiol. 2003 Apr;48(1):77-84
references: 12657046
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2002 Nov;46(11):3348-55
references: 12384335
references: J Bacteriol. 1964 Apr;87:852-62
references: 14137624
references: J Med Chem. 1971 Nov;14(11):1084-7
references: 5000475
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Dec;24(6):976-81
references: 3097069
references: J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Aug 8;55(16):6466-74
references: 17616140
references: Nature. 1991 Jun 6;351(6326):456-60
references: 1904554
references: Eur J Biochem. 1995 Jun 1;230(2):821-5
references: 7607257
references: Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2008 Sep;72(3):471-94
references: 18772286
references: Cytometry A. 2004 Aug;60(2):165-72
references: 15290717
references: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 Mar 21;302(4):860-4
references: 12646250
references: Avian Dis. 2003 Oct-Dec;47(4):1486-90
references: 14709001
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Jan 11;108(2):680-5
references: 21187411
references: J Bacteriol. 2011 Apr;193(8):1981-90
references: 21335456
references: Fungal Genet Biol. 2012 Feb;49(2):160-72
references: 22209968
references: Microbiology (Reading). 2000 Aug;146 ( Pt 8):1969-1975
references: 10931901
references: Mol Microbiol. 2008 Sep;69(5):1316-29
references: 18651841
references: Environ Mol Mutagen. 1987;10(1):3-15
references: 3121307
references: J Bacteriol. 2003 Jun;185(11):3476-9
references: 12754249
references: J Bacteriol. 1968 Feb;95(2):340-4
references: 5644441
references: Anal Biochem. 1981 Jul 1;114(2):383-7
references: 7304929
references: Free Radic Biol Med. 2009 Apr 15;46(8):1168-76
references: 19439218
references: Methods Enzymol. 1990;186:310-8
references: 2172707
references: J Bacteriol. 2007 Oct;189(19):6796-805
references: 17644601
references: Microbiology (Reading). 2002 Oct;148(Pt 10):3145-3154
references: 12368448
references: Biochemistry. 2000 Sep 5;39(35):10739-46
references: 10978158