Cross-species inhibition of dUTPase via the Staphylococcal Stl protein perturbs dNTP pool and colony formation in Mycobacterium

- Stl is a Staphylococcal pathogenicity island repressor inhibiting a phage dUTPase.
- We expressed Stl in the phylogenetically unrelated Mycobacterium smegmatis.
- We show that Stl is capable of inhibiting the mycobacterial dUTPase.
- Stl expression causes high cellular dUTP level and disturbs colony formation.
- We propose that Stl may be used as a cross-species dUTPase inhibitor protein.