DNA sequence of the gene scrA encoding the sucrose transport protein Enzymell of the phosphotransferase system from enteric bacteria: homology of the Enzymell and Enzymell proteins.

The nucleotide sequence of the structural gene, scrA, which codes for sucrose-specific Enzymell (EII ) of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent carbohydrate: phosphotransferase system (PTS), was determined. Ell requires an Enzymelll, the product of the gene crr, for full activity. The gene scrA is preceded immediately by a classical Shine-Dalgarno sequence (AAGAGGGTA). It contains 1368 nucleotides with an increased GC-content (58%) corresponding to a polypeptide of 455 amino acid residues (M 47 500). The protein has the hydropathic profile (average hydropathy +0.82) of an integral membrane protein lacking extended α-helical structures and a signal peptide. Comparison with the sequence of the β-glucoside-specific Enzymell (Ell , 625 amino acids, M 66480; Bramley and Kornberg, 1987a; Schnetz et al., 1987) revealed strong homologies between Ell and the first 458 residues of Ell . The 162 carboxyterminal residues of Ell , however, showed a high homology with the sequence of Enzymelll (Nelson et al., 1984), a homology also described recently by Bramley and Kornberg (1987b). The evolutionary and functional significance of the similarities with four other Enzymesll is discussed.