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Department of Biochemistry,1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand,2 Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-50013
Received 26 July 2007/ Accepted 31 August 2007
Alanine racemase, encoded by the gene alr, is an important enzyme in the synthesis of D-alanine for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis with a deletion mutation of the alr gene were found to require D-alanine for growth in both rich and minimal media. This indicates that alanine racemase is the only source of D-alanine for cell wall biosynthesis in M. smegmatis and confirms alanine racemase as a viable target gene for antimycobacterial drug development.
Published ahead of print on 7 September 2007.
We dedicate this article to the late John Curtis Thrash, Jr., a noted philanthropist and businessman from Houston, Texas.
| Appl. Environ. Microbiol. | Infect. Immun. | Eukaryot. Cell |
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| Mol. Cell. Biol. | J. Virol. | Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. |
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