BIOSYNTHESIS OF ERGOTHIONEINE AND HERCYNINE BY MYCOBACTERIA
Open accessAbstract
Genghof, Dorothy S. (Yeshiva University, New York, N.Y.), and Olga Van Damme . Biosynthesis of ergothioneine and hercynine by mycobacteria. J. Bacteriol. 87: 852–862. 1964.—Ergothioneine and hercynine were found to be synthesized by a wide variety of mycobacteria grown in chemically defined media free from these compounds. The cultures examined included 53 recently isolated and laboratory strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , 26 “unclassified” mycobacteria (Runyon groups I to IV), and representatives of most other species in the genus. Purification and separation of the betaines was achieved by means of chromatography on two successive alumina columns. Photometric measurement of the diazotized effluents from the second column permitted amounts of each compound to be determined. Measurement of hercynine by this method was made possible for the first time by the development of a standard curve. The pathway of ergothioneine biosynthesis in mycobacteria, as judged by the use S 35 -sulfate and l -histidine- 2-C 14 as tracers, appears similar to that found in Neurospora crassa and Claviceps purpurea , that is, from histidine to ergothioneine via hercynine. None of a small group of bacteria other than mycobacteria was found to produce ergothioneine. Two strains of group A streptococci and one of Escherichia coli produced hercyninelike material, as yet unidentified.
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ERG is synthesised by a variety of microbes, especially fungi and actinobacteria.
“The chief organisms capable of its synthesis are fungi and certain yeasts(59,60), though actinobacteria and certain other micro-organisms(60–66), including the slime mould Physarum polycephalum (65), cyanobacteria(67–71) and methylotrophs(72) are also naturally capable of its production.”
From The biology of ergothioneine, an antioxidant nutraceutical (2020) · cites this paper as [63]
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Self-citationBio-engineered and native red blood cells from cord blood exhibit the same metabolomic profile
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- Authors
- Genghof, D. S., & Damme, O. V.
- Affiliations
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Bacteriology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Published
- 1964-04
- Volume
- 87
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 852-862
- ISSN
- 0021-9193 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-5530
- PMC
- PMC277104
- OpenAlex
- W1928594747
- Cited by
- 90
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 0.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Bacteriology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Sulfur Compounds in Biology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Steroid Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Keywords
- ergothioneine, mycobacteria, biosynthesis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, betaine, histidine, sulfur metabolism, sulfur-containing amino acids, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Neurospora crassa, Claviceps purpurea
- MeSH terms
- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, Bacteriological Techniques, Betaine, Carbon Isotopes, Chromatography, Ergothioneine, Histidine, Metabolism, Mycobacterium, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Research, Sulfur Isotopes, Ammonium Compounds
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