ALVEOLYSIN, THE THIOL-ACTIVATED TOXIN OF BACILLUS-ALVEI, IS HOMOLOGOUS TO LISTERIOLYSIN-O, PERFRINGOLYSIN-O, PNEUMOLYSIN, AND STREPTOLYSIN-O AND CONTAINS A SINGLE CYSTEINE

The gene coding for alveolysin, the thiol-activated toxin produced by Bacillus alvei, has been cloned by means of an oligonucleotide based on the known N-terminal sequence of the secreted protein. The complete nucleotide sequence of the gene has been determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of alveolysin shows that alveolysin shares homologies with listeriolysin O, perfringolysin O, pneumolysin, and streptolysin O+ Alveolysin, like the other members of the family, contains a single cysteine in the conserved peptide sequence ECTGLAWEWWR.