Nucleotide sequence of the pepN gene encoding aminopeptidase N of Escherichia coli

We have sequenced a 3.3-kb fragment of the Escherichia coli chromosome that contains pepN gene encoding aminopeptidase N. This gene codes for a protein of 870 amino acid residues. From the size of the pepN transcript and the presence of inverted repeats in the nucleotide (nt) sequence, a putative transcription terminator has been identified. The N-terminal amino acid sequence deduced from the pepN nt sequence corresponds to the N-terminal sequence of the purified protein; the amino acid composition of the protein is also in good agreement with that deduced from the gene sequence. No obvious homology with previously sequenced peptidases has been detected.