Cloning and Sequencing of the Gene Coding for Aspartate Aminotransferase from the Thermoacidophilic Archaebacterium Sulfolobus Solfataricus

The gene coding for aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) has been cloned from the extreme thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus strain MT4. Partial sequence data obtained directly from the purified protein and from the two cyanogen-bromide-generated peptides confirm the primary structure of aspartate aminotransferase inferred from the nucleotide sequence of its gene. A comparison of the enzyme with other aminotransferases revealed an interesting similarity with tyrosine aminotransferase from rat liver (EC 2.6.1.5) and allowed some tentative assignments of the residues implied in the catalysis. The aspartate aminotransferase gene-flanking regions were compared to those of other archaebacterial genes already described in the literature with the aim of identifying potential regulatory sites.