GyrI-like proteins catalyze cyclopropanoid hydrolysis to confer cellular protection.

Yuan, Hua; Zhang, Jinru; Cai, Yujuan; Wu, Sheng; Yang, Kui; Chan, H C Stephen; Huang, Wei; Jin, Wen-Bing et al. · Nat Commun · 2017

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

GyrI-like proteins are widely distributed in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and recognized as small-molecule binding proteins. Here, we identify a subfamily of these proteins as cyclopropanoid cyclopropyl hydrolases (CCHs) that can catalyze the hydrolysis of the potent DNA-alkylating agents yatakemycin (YTM) and CC-1065. Co-crystallography and molecular dynamics simulation analyses reveal that these CCHs share a conserved aromatic cage for the hydrolytic activity. Subsequent cytotoxic assays confirm that CCHs are able to protect cells against YTM. Therefore, our findings suggest that the evolutionarily conserved GyrI-like proteins confer cellular protection against diverse xenobiotics via not only binding, but also catalysis.

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