Cloning. Sequencing and Characterization of the Urease Gene Cluster of the Streptococcus vestibularis

Streptococcus vestibularis is a urease-producing oral bacterium. frequently isolated from vestibular mucosa of human oral cavity. Ureolysis by S. vestibularis and other ureolytic oral bacteria is believed to be crucially involved in oral microbial ecology and oral health. Genomic library of the S. vestibularis ATCC49124 was constructed in an E. coli plasmid vector and the urease-positive transformants harboring the urease gene cluster were isolated on Christensen-urea agar plates. The minimal DNA region required for the urease activity was located on a 5.6 kb DNA fragment. (omitted)