IUBMB Enzyme Nomenclature

EC 3.1.1.81

Accepted name: quorum-quenching N-acyl-homoserine lactonase

Reaction: an N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone + H2O = an N-acyl-L-homoserine

Other name(s): acyl homoserine degrading enzyme; acyl-homoserine lactone acylase; AHL lactonase; AHL-degrading enzyme; AHL-inactivating enzyme; AHLase; AhlD; AhlK; AiiA; AiiA lactonase; AiiA-like protein; AiiB; AiiC; AttM; delactonase; lactonase-like enzyme; N-acyl homoserine lactonase; N-acyl homoserine lactone hydrolase; N-acyl-homoserine lactone lactonase; N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone hydrolase; quorum-quenching lactonase; quorum-quenching N-acyl homoserine lactone hydrolase

Systematic name: N-acyl-L-homoserine-lactone lactonohydrolase

Comments: Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are produced by a number of bacterial species and are used by them to regulate the expression of virulence genes in a process known as quorum-sensing. Each bacterial cell has a basal level of AHL and, once the population density reaches a critical level, it triggers AHL-signalling which, in turn, initiates the expression of particular virulence genes [5]. Plants or animals capable of degrading AHLs would have a therapeutic advantage in avoiding bacterial infection as they could prevent AHL-signalling and the expression of virulence genes in quorum-sensing bacteria [5]. N-(3-Oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone and N-(3-oxooctanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone can act as substrates [5].

Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, Metacyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 389867-43-0

References:

1. Thomas, P.W., Stone, E.M., Costello, A.L., Tierney, D.L. and Fast, W. The quorum-quenching lactonase from Bacillus thuringiensis is a metalloprotein. Biochemistry 44 (2005) 7559-7569. [PMID: 15895999]

2. Dong, Y.H., Gusti, A.R., Zhang, Q., Xu, J.L. and Zhang, L.H. Identification of quorum-quenching N-acyl homoserine lactonases from Bacillus species. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68 (2002) 1754-1759. [PMID: 11916693]

3. Wang, L.H., Weng, L.X., Dong, Y.H. and Zhang, L.H. Specificity and enzyme kinetics of the quorum-quenching N-acyl homoserine lactone lactonase (AHL-lactonase). J. Biol. Chem. 279 (2004) 13645-13651. [PMID: 14734559]

4. Dong, Y.H., Xu, J.L., Li, X.Z. and Zhang, L.H. AiiA, an enzyme that inactivates the acylhomoserine lactone quorum-sensing signal and attenuates the virulence of Erwinia carotovora. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97 (2000) 3526-3531. [PMID: 10716724]

5. Dong, Y.H., Wang, L.H., Xu, J.L., Zhang, H.B., Zhang, X.F. and Zhang, L.H. Quenching quorum-sensing-dependent bacterial infection by an N-acyl homoserine lactonase. Nature 411 (2001) 813-817. [PMID: 11459062]

6. Lee, S.J., Park, S.Y., Lee, J.J., Yum, D.Y., Koo, B.T. and Lee, J.K. Genes encoding the N-acyl homoserine lactone-degrading enzyme are widespread in many subspecies of Bacillus thuringiensis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68 (2002) 3919-3924. [PMID: 12147491]

7. Park, S.Y., Lee, S.J., Oh, T.K., Oh, J.W., Koo, B.T., Yum, D.Y. and Lee, J.K. AhlD, an N-acylhomoserine lactonase in Arthrobacter sp., and predicted homologues in other bacteria. Microbiology 149 (2003) 1541-1550. [PMID: 12777494]

8. Ulrich, R.L. Quorum quenching: enzymatic disruption of N-acylhomoserine lactone-mediated bacterial communication in Burkholderia thailandensis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70 (2004) 6173-6180. [PMID: 15466564]

9. Kim, M.H., Choi, W.C., Kang, H.O., Lee, J.S., Kang, B.S., Kim, K.J., Derewenda, Z.S., Oh, T.K., Lee, C.H. and Lee, J.K. The molecular structure and catalytic mechanism of a quorum-quenching N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone hydrolase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102 (2005) 17606-17611. [PMID: 16314577]

10. Liu, D., Lepore, B.W., Petsko, G.A., Thomas, P.W., Stone, E.M., Fast, W. and Ringe, D. Three-dimensional structure of the quorum-quenching N-acyl homoserine lactone hydrolase from Bacillus thuringiensis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102 (2005) 11882-11887. [PMID: 16087890]

11. Yang, F., Wang, L.H., Wang, J., Dong, Y.H., Hu, J.Y. and Zhang, L.H. Quorum quenching enzyme activity is widely conserved in the sera of mammalian species. FEBS Lett. 579 (2005) 3713-3717. [PMID: 15963993]

[EC 3.1.1.81 created 2007]


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