Comment on "A commensal strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis protects against skin neoplasia" by Nakatsuji et al.

ABSTRACT: A recent article in Science Advances described the striking discovery that the commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis strain MO34 displays antimicrobial and antitumor activities by producing a small molecule, identified as the nucleobase analog 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine (6-HAP). However, in contradiction to the literature, the authors claimed that 6-HAP is nonmutagenic and proposed that the toxic effect of 6-HAP results from its ability to inhibit, in its base form, DNA synthesis. To resolve the discrepancy, we proved by genetic experiments with bacteria and yeast that extracts of MO34 do contain a mutagenic compound whose effects are identical to chemically synthesized 6-HAP. The MO34 extract induced the same mutation spectrum as authentic 6-HAP. Notably, the toxic and mu

SUBMITTER: Kozmin SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6739109 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature