Cloning, sequencing, and overexpression in Escherichia coli of a phenylserine dehydratase gene from Ralstonia pickettii PS22.

The structural gene coding for phenylserine dehydratase from Ralstonia pickettii PS22 was cloned into Escherichia coli cells, and the nucleotide sequence was identified. The predicted amino acid sequence had high sequence similarity to biodegradative and biosynthetic threonine dehydratases from E. coli and serine dehydratase from human liver. Transformed E. coli cells overproduced phenylserine dehydratase, and the recombinant enzyme was purified to homogeneity with a high yield and characterized.