We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
An alternative flavin-dependent mechanism for thymidylate synthesis.
- Authors
Myllykallio, Hannu; Lipowski, Gerard; Leduc, Damien; Filee, Jonathan; Forterre, Patrick; Liebl, Ursula
- Abstract
Although deoxythymidylate cannot be provided directly by ribonucleotide reductase, the gene encoding thymidylate synthase ThyA is absent from the genomes of a large number of nonsymbiotic microbes. We show that ThyX (Thy1) proteins of previously unknown function form a large and distinct class of thymidylate synthases. ThyX has a wide but sporadic phylogenetic distribution, almost exclusively limited to microbial genomes lacking thyA. ThyX and ThyA use different reductive mechanisms, because ThyX activity is dependent on reduced flavin nucleotides. Our findings reveal complexity in the evolution of thymidine in present-day DNA. Because ThyX proteins are found in many pathogenic microbes, they present a previously uncharacterized target for antimicrobial compounds.
- Publication
Science (New York, N.Y.), 2002, Vol 297, Issue 5578, p105
- ISSN
1095-9203
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1126/science.1072113