Molecular cloning of staphylococcal enterotoxin B gene in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

We have cloned the Staphylococcus aureus entB gene in Escherichia coli, using pBR322 as the vector plasmid; however, no detectable staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was produced by the E. coli clones. When the entB gene was placed downstream from the strong lambda phage promoter, PR, SEB was synthesized at readily detectable levels in E. coli. Interestingly, mature SEB was almost exclusively present in the cytoplasmic fraction. The SEB precursor was found associated with the cell membrane. The entB gene was introduced back into S. aureus, and the clones were shown to produce SEB. The entB gene has been located to a 2.1-kilobase-pair region. Maxam-Gilbert sequencing of a part of the entB gene yielded a DNA sequence that corresponds to the known amino acid sequence of SEB. Southern hybridization experiments showed that the entB gene was present on identical restriction fragments in the chromosomes of SEB-producer strains. The entB gene is absent from SEB-nonproducer strains.