Cloning and expression of the genetically unstable tyrosinase structural gene from Streptomyces glaucescens

The gene from Streptomyces glaucescens coding for an inducible tyrosinase was cloned using the low copy vector pIJ41 and the melanin-negative strain Streptomyces lividans TK23 as host. Hybridisation experiments as well as complementation studies showed that melC mutant strains carry large deletions of more than 10.5 kb, comprising the structural gene for tyrosinase, while melA and melB strains carry mutations in genes involved in the expression of tyrosinase activity. Strong DNA homology was found between the Streptomyces antibioticus and the S. glaucescens tyrosinase structural genes and both genes showed a similar regulation when introduced into melanin-negative hosts. While both tyrosinases exhibited clear induction in S. glaucescens, constitutive expression was observed in S. lividans. Northern blot experiments showed that tyrosinase expression is regulated at the transcriptional level and that the gene (822 bp) is part of a 2.3 kb transcript. The main start of the mRNA at about 475 bp upstream from the tyrosinase N-terminus was located by S1-mapping experiments.