title: Gene cloning and characterization of a second alanine racemase from Bacillus subtilis encoded by yncD.
abstract: Alanine racemase activity was investigated in Bacillus subtilis. A putative second alanine racemase gene (yncD) was cloned in parallel with the previously identified alanine racemase gene, dal. Each of the B. subtilis genes, dal and yncD complemented the Escherichia coli Alr- DadX- double mutant alanine auxotrophic strain MB2159 in vivo, restoring the prototrophic phenotype. Alanine racemase activity was also detected in vitro in cell-free extracts prepared from cultures of E. coli MB2159 harboring plasmids expressing either of the cloned B. subtilis genes and preliminary characterization of enzyme activity is presented.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Merchiston Campus, Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Kara J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Samson P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Salifu
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tangney
mesh_terms: D000411:Alanine Racemase / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000411:Alanine Racemase