Mycothiol

 ( Thiols ) 

Mycothiol (MSH or AcCys-GlcN-Ins) is an unusual thiol compound found in the Actinomycetota.Jothivasan VK, Hamilton CJ, (2008) Mycothiol: synthesis, biosynthesis and biological functions of the major low molecular weight thiol in actinomycetes. Natural Product Reports, (25). 1091-1117 [1] It is composed of a cysteine residue with an acetylated amino group linked to glucosamine, which is then linked to inositol. The oxidized, disulfide form of mycothiol (MSSM) is called mycothione, and is reduced to mycothiol by the flavoprotein mycothione reductase. Mycothiol biosynthesis and mycothiol-dependent enzymes such as mycothiol-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase and mycothione reductase have been proposed to be good for the development of treatments for tuberculosis.

• Glutathione, analogous function in other Bacteria
• Bacillithiol

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is extraordinarily sensitive to killing by a vitamin C-induced Fenton reaction Published 21 May 2013. Nature Communications4, Article number:1881 doi:10.1038/ncomms2898

• The Biochemistry of Pathogens: The metabolism and function of mycothiol in the mycobacteria.