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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Anaerobic Protein Purification and Kinetic Analysis via Oxygen Electrode for Studying DesB Dioxygenase Activity and Inhibition
Published on: October 3, 2018
A Rhodanese-Like Enzyme that Catalyzes Desulfination of Ergothioneine Sulfinic Acid
Egor Y Nalivaiko1, Florian P Seebeck1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, Basel, 4002, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Many actinobacterial species contain structural genes for iron-dependent enzymes that consume ergothioneine by way of O2-dependent dioxygenation. The resulting product ergothioneine sulfinic acid is stable under physiological conditions unless cleavage to sulfur dioxide and trimethyl histidine is catalyzed by a dedicated desulfinase. This report documents that two types of ergothioneine sulfinic desulfinases have evolved by convergent evolution. One type is related to metal-dependent decarboxylases while the other belongs to the superfamily of rhodanese-like enzymes. Pairs of ergothioneine dioxygenases (ETDO) and ergothioneine sulfinic acid desulfinase (ETSD) occur in thousands of sequenced actinobacteria, suggesting that oxidative ergothioneine degradation is a common activity in this phylum.
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