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. 1995 Oct;177(20):5912–5917. doi: 10.1128/jb.177.20.5912-5917.1995

Identification of a gene (arpU) controlling muramidase-2 export in Enterococcus hirae.

M M Lleò 1, R Fontana 1, M Solioz 1
PMCID: PMC177418  PMID: 7592343

Abstract

Muramidase-2 of Enterococcus hirae is a 74-kDa peptidoglycan hydrolase that plays a role in cell wall growth and division. To study its regulation, we isolated a mutant defective in muramidase-2 release under certain growth conditions. This mutant had cell walls which apparently lacked 74-kDa muramidase-2 but which accumulated two proteolytic fragments of 32 and 43 kDa, which exhibited muramidase-2 activity in the membrane fraction. By complementation cloning, we identified a 2.6-kb fragment of the E. hirae chromosome containing a gene cluster coding for proteins of 58 to 137 amino acids. One of these genes (arpU), which encoded a 15.9-kDa protein, was shown to complement the defect of the A9 mutant in trans. We propose that this gene may be involved in the regulation of muramidase-2 export.

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Selected References

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