Verification of the Role of MlrC in Microcystin Biodegradation by Studies Using a Heterologously Expressed Enzyme

Abstract

The MlrC protein from Sphingomonas ACM-3962 strain was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) and purified to investigate participation of this enzyme in the biodegradation of two microcystin variants. In contrast with previous reports, our results indicated that MlrC cleaves linear microcystins, thus shedding new light on the role of MlrC enzyme in microcystin biodegradation.