This enzyme possesses a number of conserved residues, which include H204, F213, Y236, L263, T265, C266 and R275 that are commonly present among different classes of sortases from various bacteria. These conserved residues are located primarily in domains D2 and D3 (Dramsi et al., 2005). For example, H204 and F213 are located in domain D2, Y236 is positioned between domains D2 and D3, and L263, T265, C266 and R275 are found in Domain Sirolimus D3. Thus, the roles of these conserved

residues may provide valuable information for developing potent and selective inhibitors for both this particular sortase and other sortases. Herein, we report the identification of the transcription starting site of the srtC1 determined by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method and several conserved residues essential for its

catalytic function revealed by site-directed mutagenesis. Bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study are listed in Table 1. The Escherichia coli strains used for subcloning and plasmid isolation were grown in Luria–Bertani medium (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, MI) at 37 °C in the presence of the appropriate selective substances. Actinomyces oris T14V and its mutants were grown in Todd–Hewitt broth (THB) (Difco Laboratories), or as otherwise indicated, at 37 °C without agitation. When needed, kanamycin and Birinapant supplier trimethoprim were included in growth media at concentrations of 50 and 100 μg mL−1, respectively. Total RNA from exponentially growing wild-type A. oris cells was extracted using the RNeasy

Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Residual DNA in the total RNA samples was removed by DNase I treatment. Total RNA was concentrated by ethanol precipitation, resuspended in a small volume of RNase-free water and stored at −80 °C. To determine the transcription start site(s) of A. oris srtC1, 5′RACE-PCR experiments were carried out using SMART RACE cDNA Amplification Kit (Clontech, Mountain View, CA) with 3 μg of total RNA. The sequences of oligo primers used are shown in Table 2. Briefly, the first strand of cDNA synthesis was carried out at 42 °C for Paclitaxel chemical structure 1.5 h using a gene-specific primer: primer 1 for fimQ, primer 3 for fimP and primer 5 for srtC1. RACE-PCR was performed using the above cDNA as the template and using SMART PCR primer UPM and gene-specific primers: primer 2 for fimQ, primer 4 for fimP and primer 6 for srtC1. The amplified PCR products were further cloned into Zero Blunt TOPO vector (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) and transformed into E. coli competent cells. Plasmid DNAs were isolated with QIAprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen). Cloned fragments were sequenced in both directions (ACGT Inc., Wheeling, IL) using an ABI automated sequencer and Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit, and the transcription start site was determined.