Functional analysis of the evolutionarily conserved proline 53 residue in Proteus mirabilisglutathione transferase B1‐1

The role of the evolutionarily conserved residue Pro‐53 in Proteus mirabilisglutathione transferase B1‐1 has been examined by replacing it with a serine residue using site‐directed mutagenesis. The effect of the replacement on the activity, thermal stability and antibiotic binding capacity of the enzyme was examined. The results presented support the view that Pro‐53 participates in the maintenance of the proper conformation of the enzyme fold rather than playing a direct role in the catalytic reaction. Furthermore, this residue appears to be an important determinant of the antibiotic binding to the enzyme. Experiments with wild type and mutated enzymes provide evidence that glutathione transferases may play an important role in antibiotic resistance exhibited by bacteria.