The uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain CFT073 contains multiple iron and heme transport systems, which facilitate infection of the host urinary tract. To elucidate the molecular and cellular function of ChuY, a hypothetical gene in the heme degradation/utilization pathway, we solved the crystal structure of ChuY at 2.4 Å resolution. ChuY has high structural homology with human biliverdin and flavin reductase. We confirmed that ChuY has flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductase activity, using NAD(P)H as a cofactor, and shows porphyrin ring binding affinity. A chuY deletion-insertion strain showed reduced survival potential compared to wild-type and complemented strains in mammalian cells. Current results suggest ChuY acts as a reductase in heme homeostasis to maintain the virulence potential of E. coli CFT073.
Keywords: Crystal structure; Flavin reductase; Heme/iron homeostasis; Hypothetical protein; Uropathogenic E. coli CFT073; chuY.
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