The Biological Function of the Bacterial Isochorismatase-Like Hydrolase SttH

The streptothricin hydrolase (SttH), which is a member of the isochorismatase-like hydrolase (ILH) super-family, catalyzes the hydrolysis of the streptolidine lactam group in streptothricin (ST) antibiotics, thereby inactivating them. In this study we identified a novel homologous gene (sttH-sn) and sequenced the flanking regions of the sttH and sttH-sn genes. The organization of genes around the sttH, sttH-sn, and ILH genes revealed that a number of the genes were clustered with genes encoding oxidoreductases with molybdopterin binding subunits, suggesting that the true role of these gene products (SttHs and a number of ILHs) might have to do with the chemical modification of molybdopterin, rather than ST-resistance. In addition, mutant enzymes were constructed in which Ser was substituted for highly conserved Cys-176 and Cys-158 of SttH and SttH-sn respectively, and no enzyme activities were detected. Thus, biochemically, these ILHs were found to be cysteine hydrolases.