Involvement of Holliday junction resolvase in fluoroquinolone-mediated killing of Mycobacterium smegmatis.

The absence of the Holliday-junction Ruv resolvase of Mycobacterium smegmatis increased the bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of the fluoroquinolone moxifloxacin, an important antituberculosis agent. The treatment of ruvAB-deficient cells with thiourea and 2,2'-bipyridyl lowered moxifloxacin lethality to wild-type levels, indicating that the absence of ruvAB stimulates a lethal pathway involving reactive oxygen species. A hexapeptide that traps the Holliday junction substrate of RuvAB potentiated moxifloxacin-mediated lethality, supporting the development of small-molecule enhancers for moxifloxacin activity against mycobacteria.