Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae p65 surface lipoprotein is a lipolytic enzyme with a preference for shorter-chain fatty acids

Abstract

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the most significant bacterial pathogen of the respiratory tract of swine. p65 is an immunodominant surface lipoprotein of M. hyopneumoniae that is specifically recognized during disease. Analysis of the translated amino acid sequence of the gene encoding p65 revealed similarity to the GDSL family of lipolytic enzymes. To examine the lipolytic activity of p65, the gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli after truncation of the prokaryotic lipoprotein signal sequence and mutagenesis of the mycoplasma TGA tryptophan codons. After treatment with thrombin, the recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-p65 protein yielded a 66-kDa fusion protein cleavage pr..