• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.193-198
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• 2008

ErmSF is one of the proteins which are produced by Streptomyces fradiae to avoid suicide by its autogenous macrolide antibiotic, tylosin and one of ERM proteins which are responsible for transferring the methyl group to $A_{2058}$ (Escherichia coli coordinate) in 23S rRNA, which reduces the affinity of MLS (macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B) antibiotics to 23S rRNA, thereby confers the antibiotic resistance on microorganisms ranging from antibiotic producers to pathogens. ErmSF contains an extra N-terminal end region (NTER), which is unique to ErmSF and 25% of amino acids of which is arginine known well to interact with RNA. Noticeably, arginine is concentrated in $^{58}RARR^{61}$ and functional role of each arginine in this motif was investigated through deletion and site-directed mutagenesis and the activity of mutant proteins in cell R60 and R61 was found to play an important role in enzyme activity through the study with deletion mutant up to R60 and R61. With the site-directed mutagenesis using deletion mutant of 1 to 59 (R60A, R61A, and RR60, 61AA), R60 was found more important than R61 but R61 was necessary for the proper activity of R60 and vice versa. And these amino acids were presumed to assume a secondary structure of $\alpha$-helix.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2012

ErmSF is one of the Erm family proteins which catalyze S-adenosyl-$_L$-methionine dependent modification of a specific adenine residue (A2058, E. coli numbering) in bacterial 23S rRNA, thereby conferring resistance to clinically important macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin B ($MLS_B$) antibiotics. $^{222}FXPXPXVXS^{230}$ (ErmSF numbering) sequence appears to be a consensus sequence among the Erm family. This sequence was supposed to be involved in direct interaction with the target adenine from the structural studies of Erm protein ErmC'. But in DNA methyltarnsferase M. Taq I, this interaction have been identified biochemically and from the complex structure with substrate. Arginine 223 and 227 in this sequence are not conserved among Erm proteins, but because of the basic nature of residues, it was expected to interact with RNA substrates. Two amino acid residues were replaced with Ala by site-directed mutagenesis. Two mutant proteins still maintained its activity in vivo and resistant to the antibiotic erythromycin. Compared to the wild-type ErmSF, R223A and R227A proteins retained about 50% and 88% of activity in vitro, respectively. Even though those arginine residues are not essential in the catalytic step, with their positive charge they may play an important role for RNA binding.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2013

The Erm family of adenine-$N^6$ methyltransferases (MTases) is responsible for the development of resistance to macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B antibiotics through the methylation of 23S ribosomal RNA. Recently, it has been proposed that well conserved amino acids in ErnC' located in concave cleft between N-terminal 'catalytic' domain and C-terminal 'RNA-binding' domain interacts with substrate RNA. We carried out the site-directed mutagenesis and studied the function of the ErmSF R237 mutant in vitro and in vivo. R237 amino acid residue is located in the concave cleft between two domains. Furthermore this residue is very highly conserved in almost all the Erm family. Purified mutant protein exhibited only 51% enzyme activity compared to wild-type. Escherichia coli with R237A mutant protein compared to the wild-type protein expressing E. coli did not show any difference in its MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) suggesting that even with lowered enzyme activity, mutant protein was able to efficiently methylate 23S rRNA to confer the resistance on E. coli expressing this protein. But this observation strongly suggests that R237 of ErmSF probably interacts with substrate RNA affecting enzyme activity significantly.