Monoacylglycerol lipase from moderately thermophilic Bacillus sp. strain H-257: molecular cloning, sequencing, and expression in Escherichia coli of the gene.

Monoacylglycerol lipase [MGLP, EC 3.1.1.23] is produced intracellularly by the moderately thermophilic Bacillus sp. strain H-257. The gene encoding MGLP was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. A genomic library of Bacillus sp. strain H-257, prepared in the plasmid vector pACYC184, was screened with a 0.2-kbp DNA fragment amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with oligonucleotide primers designed based on the amino acid sequence of a purified MGLP. The plasmid pMGLP31, identified by hybridization with the amplified DNA fragment, contained a 5.3-kbp insert from Bacillus sp. strain H-257 DNA. Sequence analysis of the MGLP gene revealed an open reading frame encoding MGLP consisting of 250 amino acids, with a calculated molecular mass of 27.4 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of MGLP contained the consensus pentapeptide (-Gly-Xaa-Ser-Xaa-Gly-), which is conserved among lipases, esterases, and serine proteases. The MGLP is homologous to a putative esterase/lipase from Streptomyces coelicolor (41.8% homology). When pMGLP31 was introduced into E. coli DH1, the transformants produced MGLP intracellularly as an active form to an approximately 13.8-fold greater extent than Bacillus sp. strain H-257. The purified recombinant MGLP was shown to be identical to the native enzyme in terms of chromatographic behavior, isoelectric point, and physicochemical and catalytic properties.