Structural and functional analysis of the gene cluster encoding the enzymes of the arginine deiminase pathway of Lactobacillus sake.
Lactobacillus sake can use arginine via the arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway. We designed degenerate primers based on an alignment of known sequences of ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC)-encoding genes in order to amplify the L. sake counterpart sequences by PCR. Screening a genomic library of L. sake in lambdaEMBL3 allowed us to isolate a clone containing a 10-kb L. sake genomic DNA insert. Sequence analysis revealed that the genes involved in arginine catabolism were clustered and encoded ADI (arcA), OTC (arcB), carbamate kinase (arcC), and a putative carrier with high similarity to the arginine/ornithine antiporter of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (arcD). Additionally, a putative transaminase-encoding gene (arcT) was located in this region. The genes followed the order arcA arcB arcC arcT arcD, which differs from that found in other microorganisms. arcA, arcB, arcC, and arcD mutants were constructed, and the ADI pathway was impaired in all of them. Transcriptional studies indicated that arcA gene is subject to catabolite repression, and under the conditions used, several transcripts could be detected, suggesting the existence of different initiation sites or processing of a larger mRNA.
Zúñiga
M
M
Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (CSIC), 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
Champomier-Verges
M
M
Zagorec
M
M
Pérez-Martínez
G
G
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D015698:Genomic Library; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016296:Mutagenesis; D011494:Protein Kinases; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C065271:arcB protein, E coli; D006867:Hydrolases; C019723:arginine deiminase