Department of Molecular Genetics Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285.
The deacetylcephalosporin C synthetase (hydroxylase) gene from Streptomyces clavuligerus has been cloned and sequenced. The open reading frame codes for a protein with an Mr of 34,584. The hydroxylase gene (cefF) is closely linked to the epimerase gene (cefD) and the expandase gene (cefE) and is transcribed in the opposite orientation. The hydroxylase and expandase genes are 59 and 71% identical at the amino acid and DNA levels, respectively. cefE and cefF may have arisen from a gene duplication in the actinomycetes.