This family consists of the LuxS protein involved in autoinducer AI2 synthesis and its hypothetical relatives. S-ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) catalyses the cleavage of the thioether bond in S-ribosylhomocysteine (SRH) to produce homocysteine and 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD), the precursor of type II bacterial quorum sensing molecule.

1: Quorum sensing in Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Vibrio harveyi: a new family of genes responsible for autoinducer production. Surette MG, Miller MB, Bassler BL; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1999;96:1639-1644. PMID:9990077

2: Catalytic mechanism of S-ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS): stereochemical course and kinetic isotope effect of proton transfer reactions. Zhu J, Patel R, Pei D; Biochemistry 2004;43:10166-10172. PMID:15287744

3: Catalytic mechanism of S-ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS): direct observation of ketone intermediates by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Zhu J, Hu X, Dizin E, Pei D; J Am Chem Soc 2003;125:13379-13381. PMID:14583032

4: S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) is a mononuclear iron protein. Zhu J, Dizin E, Hu X, Wavreille AS, Park J, Pei D; Biochemistry 2003;42:4717-4726. PMID:12705835