hydγ, a gene from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) encodes a polypeptide homologous to the periplasmic hydrogenase

Abstract

Downstream of the genes for the structural α and β subunits of the periplasmic Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) hydrogenase a DNA fragment was detected with sequence homology to these genes. This fragment was cloned in Escherichia coli and the nucleotide sequence was determined. A gene was detected on the fragment with coding capacity for a 65.8 kDa polypeptide, hydγ. The central part of hydγ has an unusually high degree of homology with the α subunit and the C-terminal part has similarity with the β subunit. These results strongly suggest that the three genes for hydγ and the α and β subunits derive from one common ancestor gene. We succeeded in the identification of the translational product of this gene in E. coli, but were unable to determine the function of hydγ after expression in E. coli. © 1989.