CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GENES ENCODING D-AMINO-ACID TRANSAMINASE AND GLUTAMATE RACEMASE, 2 D-GLUTAMATE BIOSYNTHETIC-ENZYMES OF BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS ATCC-10208

In Bacillus sphaericus and other Bacillus spp., D-amino acid transamin ase has been considered solely responsible for biosynthesis of D-gluta mate, an essential component of cell wall peptidoglycan, in contrast t o the glutamate racemase employed by many other bacteria. We report he re the cloning of the dat gene encoding D-amino acid transaminase and the glr gene encoding a glutamate racemase from B. sphaericus ATCC 102 08. The glr gene encodes a 28.8-kDa protein with 40 to 50% sequence id entity to the glutamate racemases of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and S taphylococcus species. The nat gene encodes a 31.4-kDa peptide,vith 67 % primary sequence homology to the D-amino acid transaminase of the th ermophilic Bacillus sp. strain YM1.