THE PUTATIVE ARTHRITOGENIC CATIONIC 19-KILODALTON ANTIGEN OF YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA IS A UREASE BETA-SUBUNIT

The gene coding for a putative 19-kDa arthritogenic antigen of Yersini a enterocolitica O:3 (A. K. H. Mertz et al., J. Clin. Invest. 87:632-6 42, 1991) was cloned and sequenced after amplification of part of the gene by the polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers, inferr ed from the amino acid sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of th e antigen showed similarity to small subunits of ureases from several different organisms, including the jack bean urease. Screening of a ge nomic library of Y. enterocolitica O:3 with a 19-kDa-antigen-specific DNA probe allowed recombinant clones containing the entire urease oper on to be obtained. These clones expressed urease activity in Escherich ia coli.