Protective role of bacillithiol in superoxide stress and Fe-S metabolism in Bacillus subtilis.

ABSTRACT: Glutathione (GSH) serves as the prime thiol in most organisms as its depletion increases antibiotic and metal toxicity, impairs oxidative stress responses, and affects Fe and Fe-S cluster metabolism. Many gram-positive bacteria lack GSH, but instead produce other structurally unrelated yet functionally equivalent thiols. Among those, bacillithiol (BSH) has been recently identified in several low G+C gram-positive bacteria. In this work, we have explored the link between BSH and Fe-S metabolism in Bacillus subtilis. We have identified that B. subtilis lacking BSH is more sensitive to oxidative stress (paraquat), and metal toxicity (Cu(I) and Cd(II)), but not H2 O2 . Furthermore, a slow growth phenotype of BSH null strain in minimal medium was observed, which could be recovered upon the addi

SUBMITTER: Fang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4554457 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature