title: Characterization of the proteins encoded by the Bacillus subtilis yoxA-dacC operon.
abstract: In Bacillus subtilis, the yoxA and dacC genes were proposed to form an operon. The yoxA gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and its product fused to a polyhistidine tag was purified. An aldose-1-epimerase or mutarotase activity was measured with the YoxA protein that we propose to rename as GalM by analogy with its counterpart in E. coli. The peptide D-Glu-delta-m-A(2)pm-D-Ala-m-A(2)pm-D-Ala mimicking the B. subtilis and E. coli interpeptide bridge was synthesized and incubated with the purified dacC product, the PBP4a. A clear dd-endopeptidase activity was obtained with this penicillin-binding protein, or PBP. The possible role of this class of PBP, present in almost all bacteria, is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Chimie B6a, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium. cduez@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duez
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zervosen
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Teller
authors.forename: Rémy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melkonian
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Banzubazé
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bouillenne
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luxen
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Frère
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009876:Operon; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C019637:DD-endopeptidase; D010450:Endopeptidases