Identification and characterization of gshA, a gene encoding the glutamate-cysteine ligase in the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii

Liron Malki, Michaela Yanku, Ilya Borovok, Gerald Cohen, Moshe Mevarech*, Yair Aharonowitz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Halophilic archaea were found to contain in their cytoplasm millimolar concentrations of γ-glutamylcysteine (γGC) instead of glutathione. Previous analysis of the genome sequence of the archaeon Halobacterium sp. strain NRC-1 has indicated the presence of a sequence homologous to sequences known to encode the glutamate-cysteine ligase GshA. We report here the identification of the gshA gene in the extremely halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii and show that H. volcanii gshA directs in vivo the synthesis and accumulation of γGC. We also show that the H. volcanii gene when expressed in an Escherichia coli strain lacking functional GshA is able to restore synthesis of glutathione.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5196-5204
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Bacteriology
Volume191
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2009

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