Gene ytkD of Bacillus subtilis Encodes an Atypical Nucleoside Triphosphatase Member of the Nudix Hydrolase Superfamily

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Abstract
Gene ytkD of Bacillus subtilis , a member of the Nudix hydrolase superfamily, has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli . The purified protein has been characterized as a nucleoside triphosphatase active on all of the canonical ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. Whereas all other nucleoside triphosphatase members of the superfamily release inorganic pyrophosphate and the cognate nucleoside monophosphate, YtkD hydrolyses nucleoside triphosphates in a stepwise fashion through the diphosphate to the monophosphate, releasing two molecules of inorganic orthophosphate. Contrary to a previous report, our enzymological and genetic studies indicate that ytkD is not an orthologue of E. coli mutT .