title: Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression in Escherichia coli of the gene encoding an alpha-amino acid ester hydrolase from Acetobacter turbidans.
abstract: The alpha-amino acid ester hydrolase from Acetobacter turbidans ATCC 9325 is capable of hydrolyzing and synthesizing beta-lactam antibiotics, such as cephalexin and ampicillin. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the purified alpha-amino acid ester hydrolase allowed cloning and genetic characterization of the corresponding gene from an A. turbidans genomic library. The gene, designated aehA, encodes a polypeptide with a molecular weight of 72,000. Comparison of the determined N-terminal sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence indicated the presence of an N-terminal leader sequence of 40 amino acids. The aehA gene was subcloned in the pET9 expression plasmid and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified and found to be dimeric with subunits of 70 kDa. A sequence similarity search revealed 26% identity with a glutaryl 7-ACA acylase precursor from Bacillus laterosporus, but no homology was found with other known penicillin or cephalosporin acylases. There was some similarity to serine proteases, including the conservation of the active site motif, GXSYXG. Together with database searches, this suggested that the alpha-amino acid ester hydrolase is a beta-lactam antibiotic acylase that belongs to a class of hydrolases that is different from the Ntn hydrolase superfamily to which the well-characterized penicillin acylase from E. coli belongs. The alpha-amino acid ester hydrolase of A. turbidans represents a subclass of this new class of beta-lactam antibiotic acylases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, NL-9747 AG Groningen. DSM Food Specialties, 2600 MA, Delft. DSM Research, 6160 MD Geleen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jolanda J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Polderman-Tijmes
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jekel
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Annet E J
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: van Merode
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Floris
authors.forename: Jan-Metske
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van der Laan
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sonke
authors.forename: Dick B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000091:Acetobacter / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C058058:alpha-amino acid esterase