McKay D B, Jennings M P, Godfrey E A, MacRae I C, Rogers P J, Beacham I R
Division of Science and Technology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
J Gen Microbiol. 1992 Apr;138(4):701-8. doi: 10.1099/00221287-138-4-701.
An esterase gene (estA) from a lipolytic psychotroph (Pseudomonas sp. LS107d2), was cloned in Escherichia coli and its nucleotide sequence was determined, revealing an ORF encoding a polypeptide of 389 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 42276 Da. Labelling of plasmid-encoded proteins with [35S]methionine, using the maxicell procedure, gave a single polypeptide of molecular mass 42 kDa, consistent with that calculated from the ORF. Colonies of E. coli cells containing estA produced a clear halo when grown on solid media containing tributyrin; no clearance was produced when cells were grown on media containing triolein. Extracts of cells containing estA also hydrolysed water-soluble nitrophenol esters, but were unable to cleave water-insoluble substrates. The preference for water-soluble substrates indicates that the gene product is an esterase.
