Cloning and expression of the sarcosine oxidase gene from Bacillus sp. NS-129 in Escherichia coli.

The gene coding for a thermostable sarcosine oxidase (EC 1.5.3.1) was isolated from Bacillus sp. NS-129. The primary structure of sarcosine oxidase deduced from the nucleotide sequence was a protein composed of 387 amino acids with molecular weight 42,955. When the sarcosine oxidase was overproduced to about 35% of soluble protein in E. coli under the control of a lac promoter, the sarcosine oxidase activity of the crude extract was increased 3-fold by the addition of FAD. This indicates that most of the enzyme is accumulated in an active form, a flavinless aporotein, in the cell.