Cloning, sequencing and characterization of the ccpA gene from Enterococcus faecalis

International audienceEnzymes involved in the metabolism of complex carbon and energy sources are unnecessary under conditions ofabundant, readily metabolisable nutrients such as glucose or fructose. The repression of these enzymes by glucose has beentermed carbon catabolite repression. Mechanisms involved in the carbon catabolite repression in Gram-positive bacteria areknown to differ from those of Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. It appears to be mediated by transcriptionalrepression, requiring trans-acting CcpA, a member of the LacI–GalR family of bacterial regulatory proteins and a cis-actingconsensus sequence, designated cre. Here, we report the cloning and characterisation of the chromosomal ccpA gene fromEnterococcus faecalis JH2-2. This gene is predicted to encode a 333 amino acids protein with nearly 75% identity to CcpAof Lactobacillus casei.  2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved