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. 1993 Jan;61(1):117–123. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.1.117-123.1993

Isolation and characterization of the Porphyromonas gingivalis prtT gene, coding for protease activity.

J Otogoto 1, H K Kuramitsu 1
PMCID: PMC302695  PMID: 8093357

Abstract

The prtT gene, coding for trypsinlike proteolytic activity, has been isolated from Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 53977. This gene is present immediately downstream from the sod gene on a 5.9-kb DNA fragment from the organism isolated in Escherichia coli. The complete nucleotide sequence of the gene was determined, and the deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme corresponds to a 53.9-kDa protein with an estimated pI of 11.85. Gelatin-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis zymography also indicated a similar molecular size for the protease. The enzyme was purified to near homogeneity following anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. The purified enzyme also exhibited a single protein species with a size of approximately 53 kDa. Enzyme activity was strongly dependent upon the presence of reducing agents (dithiothreitol, cysteine, and 2-mercaptoethanol) and was also stimulated in the presence of calcium ions. A comparison of the properties of the prtT gene product with comparable parameters of proteases previously purified from different strains of P. gingivalis suggested that the cloned protease represents a previously uncharacterized enzyme.

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