Mycothiol metabolism

Stable Identifier
R-MTU-870331
Type
Pathway
Species
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
ReviewStatus
5/5
Locations in the PathwayBrowser
General
SVG |   | PPTX  | SBGN
Click the image above or here to open this pathway in the Pathway Browser
Mycothiol (MSH), a conjugate of glucosamine, cysteine and inositol, is the Actinobacteria equivalent of glutathione. It serves as a pool for both the unstable cysteine and reduction equivalents. Mycothiol takes part in enzymatic reactions including detoxification of electrophilic compounds, inactivation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, reductions, and isomerizations.

M. smegmatis mutants devoid of MSH are sensitive to oxidative and nitrosative stress, and antibiotics. In M. tuberculosis, however, mycothiol synthesis is essential, no null mutants are known. Results from MshD mutants, which have about 1 per cent of MSH, show the importance of mycothiol in environments where antimicrobial factors, including reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen intermediates, are formed, such as within macrophages (Newton et al, 2008; Rawat and Av-Gay, 2007)
Literature References
PubMed ID Title Journal Year
18772286 Biosynthesis and functions of mycothiol, the unique protective thiol of Actinobacteria

Newton, GL, Fahey, RC, Buchmeier, N

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2008
17286835 Mycothiol-dependent proteins in actinomycetes

Rawat, M, Av-Gay, Y

FEMS Microbiol Rev 2007
Participants
Participates
Event Information
Authored
Reviewed
Created
Cite Us!