Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding O-acetylserine lyase from Streptococcus suis

We have cloned and sequenced a gene encoding O-acetylserine lyase from Streptococcus suis. The gene encodes a protein of 309 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 32,038 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence showed more extensive similarities to the CysK proteins than to the CysM proteins of other bacteria. The cloned gene was inserted into a pTrcHisB histidine hexamer expression vector. A 38-kDa fusion protein was expressed in a cysMK auxotrophic mutant of Salmonella typhimurium and complemented the auxotrophic properties of the mutant. Furthermore, the transformants could grow in minimal defined media supplemented with not only sulfide but also thiosulfate as a sole sulfur source. These data indicated that the cloned gene encodes a protein that was a functional homolog of the CysM in S. typhimurium.