ermJ encodes an Erm-family 23S rRNA adenine-N6 methyltransferase in Bacillus anthracis. UniProt/CARD identify this entry as a macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance determinant; methylation of 23S rRNA alters the macrolide binding site on the large ribosomal subunit. UniProt names the protein 'rRNA adenine N-6-methyltransferase' (accession Q04720).
The preferred accession for this review is Q04720. These relationships are manually assessed.
Reviewed 2026-10-19 · Searched: UP000000427, UP000000594
Retain Q04720 as the primary Swiss-Prot accession. Both exact-taxon reference proteomes were searched. The only hit is RsmA Q81W00 at 27.30% global identity, a distinct ribosomal methyltransferase. Related methyltransferase ancestry does not establish an ErmJ resistance counterpart; no supported alternative was identified.
MMseqs2 searched 10,161 sequences across UP000000427, UP000000594 at E <= 1e-5 and sensitivity 7.5, returning 1 hits. Every returned sequence was globally aligned using BLOSUM62 with gap-open -10 and extension -0.5. Scores and sequences for all 1 returned candidates are retained, with 1 detailed alignment files. The heuristic search does not establish genomic absence or unique locus identity.
file:BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-record-evidence.yaml
target_sequence_count: 10161
file:BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-record-evidence.yaml
candidate_count: 1
The primary accession is outside every searched exact-taxon reference proteome.
file:BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-record-evidence.yaml
primary_in_any_reference_proteome: false
Sampled UniSave observations: 07-JAN-2015, entry version 65.: no Proteomes cross-reference; 11-DEC-2019, entry version 75.: no Proteomes cross-reference; 02-OCT-2024, entry version 84.: no Proteomes cross-reference. These dated observations do not establish uninterrupted membership/absence, the exact change date, or UniProt's motivation.
file:BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-record-evidence.yaml
entry_date: 07-JAN-2015, entry version 65. proteomes: []
file:BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-record-evidence.yaml
entry_date: 11-DEC-2019, entry version 75. proteomes: []
file:BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-record-evidence.yaml
entry_date: 02-OCT-2024, entry version 84. proteomes: []
| GO Term | Evidence | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| GO:0000154 rRNA modification | IEA GO_REF:0000002 | ACCEPT | Summary: The rRNA modification/methylation process is consistent with an Erm-family 23S rRNA methyltransferase. Reason: Erm enzymes confer resistance by methylating 23S rRNA; this process annotation is biologically appropriate. Supporting Evidence: file:genes/BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-uniprot.txt CC -!- FUNCTION: Involved in erythromycin resistance. |
| GO:0000179 rRNA (adenine-N6,N6-)-dimethyltransferase activity | IEA GO_REF:0000120 | ACCEPT | Summary: The existing dimethyltransferase term is retained as the more specific molecular function for this Erm-family enzyme. Reason: GO:0000179 is a child of the broader rRNA adenine-N6 methyltransferase activity and captures the N6,N6-dimethylation activity expected for Erm-mediated macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance. Supporting Evidence: file:genes/BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-uniprot.txt CC -!- FUNCTION: Involved in erythromycin resistance. |
| GO:0031167 rRNA methylation | IEA GO_REF:0000118 | ACCEPT | Summary: The rRNA modification/methylation process is consistent with an Erm-family 23S rRNA methyltransferase. Reason: Erm enzymes confer resistance by methylating 23S rRNA; this process annotation is biologically appropriate. Supporting Evidence: file:genes/BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-uniprot.txt CC -!- FUNCTION: Involved in erythromycin resistance. |
| GO:0046677 response to antibiotic | RCA file:projects/ANTIMICROBIAL_RESISTANCE/aro2go.sssom.yaml | NEW | Summary: NEW process annotation: ermJ is an AMR determinant involved in antibiotic response/resistance. Reason: CARD/ARO identity places this gene in an antimicrobial-resistance determinant family; response to antibiotic is the appropriate high-level GO biological process for the resistance role. Supporting Evidence: file:genes/BACAN/ermJ/ermJ-uniprot.txt DR CARD; ARO:3000495; ErmD; ARO:0001001; antibiotic target alteration. |
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Download this section (compressed HTML)Q: Is the ARO-derived rRNA (adenine-N6-)-methyltransferase activity annotation sufficiently specific for ermJ, or is a narrower substrate/site-specific GO term warranted?
Experiment: Biochemically assay purified ermJ against representative antibiotic substrates for the inferred AMR family and measure loss of drug activity or target modification.
Type: in vitro enzyme assay
Focused AMR batch review. UniProt accession: Q04720. Source organism: Bacillus anthracis.
DR CARD; ARO:3000495; ErmD; ARO:0001001; antibiotic target alteration.projects/ANTIMICROBIAL_RESISTANCE/data/candidate_new_annotations.tsv and projects/ANTIMICROBIAL_RESISTANCE/aro2go.sssom.yaml.Loading supporting content…
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