Nucleotide and amino acid sequence of pap-gene (pediocin AcH production) in Pediococcus acidilactici H.

N-terminal analysis of purified pediocin AcH produced a partial sequence of 23 amino acids. This sequence matched perfectly with a segment of 23 amino acids in a 62 amino acid molecule generated from the 186 nucleotide sequence open reading frame in a Hind III fragment in pSMB74 encoding pap-gene (pediocin AcH production). It is suggested that the molecule is translated as inactive prepediocin AcH of 62 amino acids. Then through enzymatic modifications the leader segment of 18 amino acids is removed from the NH2-terminal. The remaining segment of 44 amino acids is active pediocin AcH of 4628 M(r).