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Unusual production of glutathione in Actinobacteria

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Abstract

Most Actinobacteria produce mycothiol as the major thiol. In addition to mycothiol Rhodococcus AD45 generates a substantial level of glutathione possibly using genes acquired in a lateral transfer. Instead of mycothiol, Rubrobacter radiotolerans and Rubrobacter xylanophilus produce glutathione, whose synthesis appears to involve enzymes substantially different from those in other organisms.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the NIH-MBRS-SCORE 2S06 GM061223-05A1 award to M. Rawat, Public Health Service grant AI49174 to R. C. Fahey, and CSU-Fresno College of Science and Mathematics Faculty Sponsored Student Research Award to T. Johnson.

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Correspondence to Mamta Rawat.

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Communicated by Jean-Luc Pernodet.

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Johnson, T., Newton, G.L., Fahey, R.C. et al. Unusual production of glutathione in Actinobacteria . Arch Microbiol 191, 89–93 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-008-0423-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-008-0423-1

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