Expression of UGA-Containing Mycoplasma Genes in Bacillus subtilis

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Abstract
We used Bacillus subtilis to express UGA-containingMycoplasma genes encoding the P30 adhesin (one UGA) ofMycoplasma pneumoniae and methionine sulfoxide reductase (two UGAs) of Mycoplasma genitalium. Due to natural UGA suppression, these Mycoplasma genes were expressed as full-length protein products, but at relatively low efficiency, in recombinant wild-type Bacillus. The B. subtilis-expressed Mycoplasma proteins appeared as single bands and not as multiple bands compared to expression in recombinant Escherichia coli. Bacillus mutants carrying mutations in the structural gene (prfB) for release factor 2 markedly enhanced the level of readthrough of UGA-containingMycoplasma genes.