title: Cloning, sequencing and expression in Escherichia coli of the gene for alpha antigen from Mycobacterium scrofulaceum.
abstract: The gene for the extracellular alpha antigen of Mycobacterium scrofulaceum (S-alpha) was cloned by using the alpha antigen gene fragments of Mycobacterium bovis BCG as probes. The complete nucleotide sequence was determined. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene encodes 330 amino acids, including 40 amino acids for the signal peptide, followed by 290 amino acids for the mature protein. The deduced amino acid sequences were highly homologous to the alpha antigen of the species of other mycobacteria. Interestingly, the alpha antigens of MAIS complex (Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare-M. scrofulaceum) were closely homologous even at the C-terminal regions which were variable among those of M. bovis BCG, Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium kansasii.
authors.affiliation: Nagasaki University School of Dentistry, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015359:Mycobacterium scrofulaceum / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C052242:alpha antigens, Mycobacterium