Cloning and Sequencing of the β-Fructofuranosidase gene from Bacillus sp. V230

Abstract

  The β-fructofuranosidase gene (bff) from Bacillus sp. V230 has been cloned in Escherichia coli and its nucleotide sequence has been analyzed. The product of bff consists of a signal sequence of 32 amino acid (a.a.) residues for secretion and 455 a.a. residues of the extracellular β-fructofuranosidase. The a.a. sequence of the bff product has similarities with those of the Bacillus subtilis levanscrase (63.7% identity), the Streptococcus mutans fructosyltransferase (33.7%), and the Zymomonas mobilis levanscrase and β-fructofuranosidase (15%).