Identification and expression of the gene encoding phosphonopyruvate decarboxylase of Streptomyces hygroscopicus

The first step of C-P compound biosynthesis is a C-P bond formation reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate phosphomutase, but this reaction favors the cleavage of the C-P bond. This C-P bond forming reaction is driven by the following reaction catalyzed by phosphonopyruvate (PnPy) decarboxylase. We have cloned and sequenced the gene (bcpC) encoding PnPy decarboxylase, a key enzyme of C-P compound biosynthesis, from the bialaphos (BA) producing microorganism Streptomyces hygroscopicus by complementation methods using Streptomyces wedmorensis NP-7, which is a mutant of a fosfomycin producing strain deficient in this step. The location of this gene in the BA biosynthetic gene cluster was determined by using the expression system in Streptomyces lividans. DNA sequencing of this gene revealed a 1203-bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 401 amino acids.