Identification of a gene involved in the malonate-malonamate shuttle from the leguminous symbiotic bacteria, Bradyrhizobium japonicum

The role of malonate was suggested for the nitrogen transport between bacteroids and legume plants. The malonate-malonamate shuttle was proposed for the nitrogen transport. The key enzyme of the malonate-malonamate shuttle, malonamidase MAE2, was purified and the gene encoding the MAE2 from Bradyrhizobium japonicum was isolated and sequenced. The amidation site was identified from the primary structure of malonamidase, MAE2. The conservative regions of the MAE2 have the myristoylation sites, which might be a clue for transmembrane function between cytosol and bacteroids in soybean nodules.