Murein-metabolizing enzymes from Escherichia coli: existence of a second lytic transglycosylase

In addition to the soluble lytic transglycosylase, a murein-metabolizing enzyme with a molecular mass of 70 kDa (Slt70), Escherichia coli possesses a second lytic transglycosylase, which has been described as a membrane-bound lytic transglycosylase (Mlt; 35 kDa; EC 3.2.1.-). The mlt gene, which supposedly encodes Mlt, was cloned, and the complete nucleotide sequence was determined. The open reading frame, identified on a 1.7-kb SalI-PstI fragment, codes for a protein of 323 amino acids (M(r) = 37,410). Two transmembrane helices and one membrane-associated helix were predicted in the N-terminal half of the protein. Lysine and arginine residues represent up to 15% of the amino acids, resulting in a calculated isoelectric point of 10.0. The deduced primary structure did not show significant sequence similarity to Slt70 from E. coli. High-level expression of the presumed mlt gene was not paralleled by an increase in murein hydrolase activity. To clarify the identity of the second transglycosylase, we purified an enzyme with the specificity of a transglycosylase from an E. coli slt deletion strain. The completely soluble transglycosylase, with a molecular mass of approximately 35 kDa, was designated Slt35. Its determined 26 N-terminal amino acids showed similarity to a segment in the middle of the Slt70 primary structure. Polyclonal anti-Mlt antibodies, which had been used for the isolation of the mlt gene, were found to cross-react with Mlt as well as with Slt35, suggesting that the previously described Mlt preparation was contaminated with Slt35. We conclude that the second transglycosylase of E. coli is not a membrane-bound protein but rather is a soluble protein.