The nucleotide sequence of the luxE gene of Vibrio harveyi and a comparison of the amino acid sequences of the acyl-protein synthetases from V. harveyi and V. fischeri.

The luxE gene of bioluminescent bacteria encodes the acyl-protein synthetase component of the fatty acid reductase complex. The complex is responsible for converting tetradecanoic acid to the aldehyde which serves as a substrate in the luciferase-catalyzed reaction. The nucleotide sequence of the luxE gene of Vibrio harveyi was determined and the amino acid sequence of the acyl-protein synthetase deduced. The protein consists of 378 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of 42,965 daltons. Alignment of the V. harveyi enzyme with the V. fischeri acyl-protein synthetase showed 62% identity.