Crystal structures of two nitroreductases from hypervirulent Clostridium difficile and functionally related interactions with the antibiotic metronidazole.

ABSTRACT: Nitroreductases (NRs) are flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-dependent enzymes that catalyze the biotransformation of organic nitro compounds (RNO₂; R = alkyl, aryl) to the nitroso RN=O, hydroxylamino RNHOH, or amine RNH₂ derivatives. Metronidazole (Mtz) is a nitro-containing antibiotic that is commonly prescribed for lower-gut infections caused by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile. C. difficile infections rank number one among hospital acquired infections, and can result in diarrhea, severe colitis, or even death. Although NRs have been implicated in Mtz resistance of C. difficile, no NRs have been characterized from the hypervirulent R20291 strain of C. difficile. We report the first expression, purification, and three-dimensional X-ray crystal structures of tw

SUBMITTER: Wang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5079799 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature