Levansucrase gene

Arrieta JG, Hernandez L, Coego A, Suarez V, Bamori E, Menendez C, et al. Molecular characterization of the levansucrase gene from the endophytic sugarcane bacterium Acetobacter diazotrophicus SRT 4. 

S. Morales-Arrieta, M. E. Rodriguez, L. Segovia, A. Lopez-Munguia, and C. Olvera-Carranza, Identification and functional characterization of levS, a gene encoding for a levansucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-512 F, Gene, 376 (2006) 59-67. 

In 1993, suicide by an E. colt containing the npt -sacFL-B suicide cassette (nptll gene encodes kanamycin resistance) was reported (Recorbet et al., 1993). In the absence of sucrose the sacK gene does not induce expression of the sacB gene. To induce cell death, sucrose was added to the soil in which the organism was released. This causes the cells to produce levansucrase (a sacB product), which in turn causes the periplasm of the cells to fill with levan. This leads to cell death by lysis. Sucrose... 

Bacillus subtilis levansucrase (sucrose 2,6-/8-D-fructan 6-)8-D-fructosyltrans-ferase, EC 2.4.1.10) catalyzes fructosyl transfer from sucrose to levan (154). In the absence of a fructosyl acceptor, the primary reaction is sucrose hydrolysis, although a limited amount of self-initiated levan synthesis occurs as well (155). As with sucrose phosphorylase, acceptor specificity is broad a number of saccharides and other nucleophiles are suitable fructosyl acceptors (154-158). The complete amino acid sequence of the approximately SO-kDa enzyme has been determined by both protein (159) and gene (160) sequence analyses. The three-dimensional structure at 3.8 A reveals a rod- or ellipsoid-shaped protein with a length some four times the diameter (161). 

Steinmetz, M. LeCoc, D., Aymerich, S., Gonzy Trdboul, G. and Gay, P., 1985, The DNA sequence of the gene for the secreted Bacillus subtilis enzyme levansucrase and its genetic control sites. Mol. Gen. Genet., 200 220. 

---