Expression of Bacillus macerans Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase in Bacillus subtilis

A plasmid vector was constructed for the expression and secretion of Bacillus macerans cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) in Bacillus subtilis. The vector, pUBACGT, was composed of the ribosome-binding sequence, signal sequence, and cgt gene from B. macerans under the control of amyR2, the promoter of amyE gene coding for $\alpha$-amylase from B. subtilis var. natto. Bacillus subtilis LKS88, a mutant strain lacking genes for an amylase and two proteases, was used as a host for the transformation of the plasmid vector. The transformants were selected on kanamycin-containing Luria-Bertani plates. The starch hydrolyzing activity was observed on the starch-containing plates by the iodine method and cyclodextrin-forming activity was detected in the culture medium. A SDS-PAGE analysis showed that most of the expressed CGTase in the recombinant B. subtilis was secreted into the medium at a high expression level.