Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding a serine proteinase inhibitor named marinostatin from a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. StrainB-10-31

The gene (mstI) encoding a serine proteinase inhibitor named marinostatin f rom marine Alteromonas sp. strain B-10-31 was cloned and its nucleotide seq uence was analyzed. A short open reading frame of 192 bp encoded 63 amino a cids with a molecular weight of 6,985. Furthermore, the initial product of marinostatin (marinostatin L) was purified and its amino acid sequence was analyzed. These results indicate that marinostatin is produced as a unique precursor consisting of the mature peptide and the leader peptide for an AT P-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, and furthermore the initial product o f marinostatin is dehydrated and processed by proteolysis to give homologou s forms of marinostatin.