Search

Bacterial intracellular proteinases play a relevant role in coordinating various cellular processes. The genome of the uropathogenic Klebsiella oxytocaNK-1 encodes the gene prtKO, homologous to grimelysin of Serratia grimesii. BLAST analysis showed that a lot of bacteria encode grimelysin-like proteinases, known to be mainly distributed in Enterobacterales.Phylogenetic analysis classified these proteins into 10 clusters. PrtKO was predicted to contain conservative motifs typical for grimelysin using bioinformatic tools. In addition, the structure of metalloproteinase-containing genomic loci is conservative among enterobacteria and consists of the genes involved in global physiological processes. Maximal total intracellular proteolytic activity of K. oxytocaNK-1 is observed during the late stationary phase of growth in LB medium at 37 °C. Limited proteolysis of actin indicates the presence of a grimelysin-like proteinase in bacterial cells during the late stationary growth phase. Hence, we present a first report of a new grimelysin-like intracellular metalloproteinase in K. oxytoca.