A cysteine desulphurase gene from the cellulolytic rumen anaerobe Ruminococcus flavefaciens.
A gene whose predicted product shows 40-50% sequence identity with the products of nifS genes from nitrogen-fixing bacteria was found downstream from a cellulase gene in a DNA fragment from the cellulolytic rumen anaerobe, Ruminococcus flavefaciens 17. The R. flavefaciens gene product released sulphur from l-cysteine when expressed in Escherichia coli, indicating that the R. flavefaciens NifS enzyme may play a role in sulphuration, perhaps, as in nitrogen-fixing bacteria, supplying sulphur to FeS proteins. Sequences hybridising with the R. flavefaciens 17 nifS-like gene were also detected in R. flavefaciens 007 and in R. albus SY3.
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK.
J
J
Kirby
F
F
Wright
H J
HJ
Flint
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008190:Lyases / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012417:Rumen / Q000382:microbiology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080001:nifS protein, Bacteria; D008190:Lyases; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C080546:cysteine desulfurase; D003545:Cysteine