CONSTRUCTION OF HYBRID METALLOPROTEINASES OF BACILLI

The possibility of employing recombination mechanisms for obtaining hy brids of related proteins possessing regions of extended homology has been shown. For constructing hybrid neutral proteinases (NPr) of the t ype NPr Bacillus amyloliquefaciens + NPr Bacillus brevis, the genes en coding these enzymes were cloned in the same plasmid in tandem orienta tion and then were recombined. By sequential inactivation of the clone d genes it was possible to ensure efficient selection both at the inte rmediate stages of construction and at the final stage, that revealed the recombinant forms. Constructions containing the expressed genes of hybrid neutral proteinases of the type NPr B. amyloliquefaciens + NPr B. brevis were obtained. The presence of several regions of high homo logy between B. amyloliquefaciens and B. brevis stipulates the possibi lity of obtaining various variants of hybrid neutral proteinases that differ in their properties.