Cytosylglucuronic acid synthase (cytosine: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase) from Streptomyces griseochromogenes, the first prokaryotic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase.

Cytosylglucuronic acid synthase (cytosine: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase), the first prokaryotic UDP-GT and a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic blasticidin S, was purified 870-fold. It has optimum activity at a pH of 8.4 to 8.6, Kms of 6.0 (UDP-glucuronic acid) and 243 (cytosine) microM, and a maximum rate of metabolism of 14.6 mumol/min/mg. The apparent M(r) is 43,000. Activity was slightly enhanced by Mg2+ or Ca2+ but was not inhibited by EDTA. Activity was strongly inhibited by UDP. Cytosylglucuronic acid differs from eukaryotic UDP-glucuronosyltransferases in being a soluble protein with no apparent phospholipid requirement.