Comparison of the structure and activity of thioredoxin 2 and thioredoxin 1 from Acinetobacter baumannii

Thioredoxin (Trx) is essential in a redox-control system, with many bacteria containing two Trxs: Trx1 and Trx2. Due to a Trx system's critical function, Trxs are targets for novel antibiotics. Here, a 1.20 Å high-resolution structure of Trx2 from Acinetobacter baumannii (abTrx2), an antibiotic resistant pathogenic superbug, is elucidated. By comparing Trx1 and Trx2, it is revealed that the two Trxs possess similar activity, although Trx2 contains an additional N-terminal zinc-finger domain and exhibits more flexible properties in solution. Finally, it is shown that the Trx2 zinc-finger domain might be rotatable and that proper zinc coordination at the zinc-finger domain is critical to abTrx2 activity. This study enhances understanding of the Trx system and will facilitate the design of novel antibiotics.