Thiamine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: isolation and initial characterisation of the ThiGH complex

FEBS Lett. 2003 Mar 27;539(1-3):95-9. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00204-7.

Abstract

In Escherichia coli, two of the proteins required for the biosynthesis of the thiazole moiety of thiamine (vitamin B(1)) are ThiG and ThiH, encoded as part of the thiCEFSGH operon. In this study, a C-terminally hexahistidine-tagged ThiH (ThiH-His) was expressed in E. coli as a soluble protein from thiGH-His-tag and thiFSGH-His-tag-bearing plasmids. When isolated under anaerobic conditions, ThiG and ThiH-His co-purify as a large multimeric non-covalent complex. Electron paramagnetic resonance and UV-visible spectroscopy together with iron and sulfide analyses revealed the presence of an iron-sulfur cluster within this complex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Operon
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Thiamine / biosynthesis*
  • Thiamine / genetics

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • ThiG protein, E coli
  • Thiamine