title: Physiological roles of bacillithiol in intracellular metal processing.
abstract: Glutathione (GSH) is an abundantly produced low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiol in many organisms. However, a number of Gram-positive bacteria do not produce GSH, but instead produce bacillithiol (BSH) as one of the major LMW thiols. Similar to GSH, studies have found that BSH has various roles in the cell, including protection against hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite and disulfide stress. BSH also participates in the detoxification of thiol-reactive antibiotics and the electrophilic metabolite methylglyoxal. Recently, a number of studies have highlighted additional roles for BSH in the processing of intracellular metals. Herein, we examine the potential functions of BSH in the biogenesis of Fe-S clusters, cytosolic metal buffering and the prevention of metal intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
authors.forename: Zuelay
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rosario-Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA. jmboyd@aesop.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boyd
mesh_terms: D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C543521:bacillithiol; D007501:Iron; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine; D005944:Glucosamine
keywords: Bacillithiol; Copper; Iron; Iron-sulfur cluster; Low-molecular-weight thiols; Manganese; Zinc