A protein of the metallo-hydrolase/oxidoreductase superfamily with both beta-lactamase and ribonuclease activity is linked with translation in giant viruses

Abstract Proteins with a metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) fold have been largely studied in bacteria in the framework of resistance to beta-lactams, but their spectrum of activities is broader. We show here that the giant Tupanvirus also encodes a MBL fold-protein that has orthologs in other giant viruses, a deep phylogenetic root and is clustered with tRNases. This protein is significantly associated with translation components in giant viruses. After expression in Escherichia coli, it was found to hydrolyse nitrocefin, a beta-lactam, and penicillin G. This was inhibited by sulbactam, a beta-lactamase inhibitor. In addition, the tupanvirus MBL fold-protein was not active on single- or double-stranded DNA, but degraded RNAs from bacteria and Acanthamoeba castellanii, the tupanvirus amoebal host. This activity was not neutralized by sulbactam. Overall, our results still broaden the host range of MBL fold-proteins, showing dual beta-lactamase/nuclease activities in giant viruses.