Carboxy-terminal processing of the large subunit of [Fe] hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 7757

A study was conducted to examine the nucleotide sequence of the hydA and hydB genes that encode the [Fe] hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 7757. The deduced amino acid sequence of the genes was found to be similar to that of D. vulgaris, a closely related specie. A carboxy-terminal processing of the large subunit that involve the cleavage of a 24-residue peptide was also observed. These results suggest that the C-terminal plays a role in the transport of the protein to the periplasm.