Cloning, Characterization, and Expression of a Novel Gene Encoding a Reversible 4-Hydroxybenzoate Decarboxylase from Clostridium hydroxybenzoicum

A novel gene, designated ohb1, which encodes the oxygen-sensitive and biotin-, ATP-, thiamin-, pyridoxal phosphate-, and metal-ion-independent, reversible 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase (4-HOB-DC) from the obligate anaerobe Clostridium hydroxybenzoicum JW/Z-1(T) was sequenced (GenBank accession no. AF128880) and expressed. The 1,440-bp open reading frame (ORF) (ohb1) encodes 480 amino acids. Major properties of the heterologous enzyme (Ohb1) expressed in Escherichia coli DH5α were the same as those described for the native 4-HOB-DC (Z. He and J. Wiegel, J. Bacteriol. 178:3539–3543, 1996). The deduced amino acid sequence shows up to 57% identity and up to 74% similarity to hypothetical proteins deduced from ORFs in genomes from bacteria and archaea, suggesting a possible novel gene family.