Identification of a glutathione peroxidase homolog in Neisseria meningitidis

Glutathione peroxidase is an antioxidant enzyme found in a diverse array of eukaryotic species. We have determined the DNA sequence of a glutathione peroxidase homolog in the pathogenic bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. The sequence displays features of a functional gene, but lacks a selenocysteine-encoding in-frame TGA codon characteristic of most mammalian glutathione peroxidase genes. The derived amino acid sequence encoded by the N. meningitidis homolog predicts a 19.9 kDa protein that displays a high level of amino acid identity with other gluathione peroxidase sequences, particularly within four conserved regions of the enzyme.