title: Characterization and structure of an endoglucanase gene cenA of Cellulomonas fimi.
abstract: Two BamHI fragments (0.8 and 5.2 kb) of Cellulomonas fimi containing an endoglucanase (Eng) gene (cenA) were individually cloned into the BamHI site of pBR322; they expressed carboxymethylcellulase activity in Escherichia coli. The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the cenA gene was determined by sequencing overlapping deletions. The cenA gene is 1350 bp long encoding a polypeptide of 449 amino acids (aa) and stop codon. The 0.8-kb BamHI component encodes the first 76 aa, whereas the 5.2-kb BamHI component encodes the rest of the Eng. The Eng lacking the N-terminal 76 aa retains its activity and antigenicity, and it forms an active fusion protein with the N-terminal portion of the TcR determinant. The C-terminal region of the Eng is crucial for activity and a deletion of as little as 12 aa from that end results in the loss of all Eng activity. The N-terminal 31 aa of the Eng constitute a leader peptide which appears to be functional in exporting the enzyme to the periplasm in E. coli.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002480:Cellulase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010957:Plasmids; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D002480:Cellulase