Cloning and sequence analysis of an Escherichia coli gene conferring bicyclomycin resistance

We have cloned and sequenced DNA from Escherichia coli that, when present in a high-copy-number plasmid, confers resistance to the diketopiperazine antibiotic, bicyclomycin (Bc). The DNA includes a 378-amino-acid open reading frame (ORF), disruption of which results in the loss of Bc resistance. This ORF contains the BcR gene. Studies using the minicell expression system reveal that a polypeptide of 31 kDa is produced from this cloned region. The ORF maps at 47.1 min on the E. coli genome map. Sequence comparison between the translated ORF and a protein database reveal between 26.5 and 23.4% aa sequence homology to bacterial transmembrane (TM) proteins including those mediating chloramphenicol (Cm) and tetracycline (Tc) resistance and an arabinose-proton symport protein. Sequence analysis using the Diagon program showed the BcR gene product (BcR) had homology with the N-terminal regions of the CmR and TcR-encoded proteins and weak N-terminal homology with the arabinose-proton symport protein. Hydropathy profiles of the BcR protein and CmR products show a striking similarity, both having twelve predicted TM domains.