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Isolation and expression of a Bacillus cereus gene encoding benzil reductase
Author(s) -
Maruyama Reiji,
Nishizawa Mikio,
Itoi Yasushi,
Ito Seiji,
Inoue Masami
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.1191
Subject(s) - bacillus cereus , plasmid , bacillus subtilis , biology , escherichia coli , gene , benzil , hybrid plasmid , microbiology and biotechnology , reductase , biochemistry , genetics , enzyme , bacteria , catalysis
Benzil was reduced stereospecifically to (S)‐benzoin by Bacillus cereus strain Tim‐r01. To isolate the gene responsible for asymmetric reduction, we constructed a library consisting of Escherichia coli clones that harbored plasmids expressing Bacillus cereus genes. The library was screened using the halo formation assay, and one clone showed benzil reduction to ( S )‐benzoin. Thus, this clone seemed to carry a plasmid encoding a Bacillus cereus benzil reductase. The deduced amino acid sequence had marked homologies to the Bacillus subtilis yueD protein (41% identity), the yeast open reading frame YIR036C protein (31%), and the mammalian sepiapterin reductases (28% to 30%), suggesting that benzil reductase is a novel short‐chain de‐hydrogenases/ reductase. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 75: 630–633, 2001.