The Enterococcus hirae Mur-2 enzyme displays N-acetylglucosaminidase activity

Enterococcus hirae produces two autolytic enzymes named Mur-1 and Mur-2, both previously described as N-acetylmuramidases. We used tandem mass spectrometry to show that Mur-2 in fact displays N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. This result reveals that Mur-2 and its counterparts studied to date, which are members of glycosyl hydrolase family 73 from the CAZy (Carbohydrate-Active enZyme) database, display the same catalytic activity. (c) 2007 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.