Characterization of two membrane-associated protease genes obtained from screening out-membrane protein genes of Flavobacterium columnare G(4)

In order to identify genes encoding the outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of the myxobacter Flavobacterium columnare G(4), the expression library of the bacterium was screened by using rabbit antisera developed against its OMPs. Positive colonies of Escherichia coli M15 containing fragments encoding the bacterial OMPs were selected for cloning the relevant genes by genomic walking methods. Two genes encoding a membrane-associated zinc metalloprotease and prolyl oligopeptidase are reported in this paper. The membrane-associated zinc metalloprotease gene (map) is 1800 bp in length, coding for 449 amino acids (aa). Despite the presence of a conserved motif HEXXH for all metalloproteases, the special HEXXH similar to 32 aa similar to E motif of the F. columnare G(4) Map and its low level of identity with other reported zinc-containing metalloproteases may imply that the membrane-associated zinc metalloprotease of F. columnare G(4) represents a new family of zincins. The gene encoding prolyl oligopeptidase (Pop), a serine proteinase, is 2352 bp in length, coding for 649 aa. Sequence homology analysis revealed that the Pop is also novel as it has <50% identity with other reported prolyl oligopeptidase family proteins. The present study represents the first to employ anti-fish bacterial OMP sera to screen genes of membrane-associated proteases of fish pathogenic bacteria, and to provide necessary information for the examination of the role of the two genes in the infection and pathogenesis of F. columnare.

节杆菌BT801N-氨甲酰氨基酸水解酶基因的克隆与表达

通过PCR从质粒pUC18 16 9中扩增得到N 氨甲酰氨基酸水解酶基因 (hyuC) ,置于原核表达载体pQE6 0的T5启动子下游构成表达质粒pQE6 0 hyuC ,并在大肠杆菌M15中实现了该基因的高表达。SDS PAGE检测表达产物 ,在相对分子量 44kD处有一表达带 ,经薄层扫描分析目的蛋白占全菌蛋白的 40 % ,主要以可溶性形式存在。酶活性分析结果表明 ,工程菌M15 pQE6 0 hyuC的N 氨甲酰氨基酸水解酶的比活分别比原始菌株ArthrobacterBT80 1和亚克隆DH5α pUC18 16 9提高了 5 2倍和 72倍。在节杆菌BT80 1和大肠杆菌DH5α pUC18 16 9的反应体系中加入等量菌体的工程菌M15 pQE6 0 hyuC ,可使乙内酰脲酶总比活分别提高 8 1倍和 3 0倍。