Abstract 2203 Characterizing DUF-1989 Enzymes: Insights into Guanidine Deamination

The DUF-1989 enzyme superfamily is composed of ∼17,000 bacterial enzymes of largely unknown function which all share high percentages of sequence similarity. Carboxyguanidine deiminase (CgdAB) was the first enzyme from this superfamily to be categorized and has served as the archetypical enzyme. This metalloenzyme catalyzes hydrolysis of a guanidinium group to a ureido group, a transformation that we believe to be common among all members of the superfamily. The deamination of guanidinium groups by enzymes of this superfamily has the potential to unveil new metabolic pathways in bacteria, with possible implications for environmental bioremediation.