PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Yanling, Ma AU - Xinfeng, Zhang AU - Rong, Zeng TI - A novel amidase signature family amidase from the marine actinomycete <em>Salinispora arenicola</em> CNS-205 AID - 10.1101/342527 DP - 2018 Jan 01 TA - bioRxiv PG - 342527 4099 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/06/08/342527.short 4100 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/06/08/342527.full AB - We cloned a new gene from the amidase signature (AS) family, designated am, from the marine actinomycete Salinispora arenicola CNS-205. As indicated by bioinformatics analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, the AM protein belonged to the AS family. AM was expressed, purified, and characterised in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and the AM molecular mass was determined to be 51 kDa. The optimal temperature and pH were 40 °C and pH 8.0, respectively. AM exhibited a wide substrate spectrum and showed amidase, aryl acylamidase, and acyl transferase activities. AM had high activity towards aromatic and aliphatic amides. The AM substrate specificity for anilides was very narrow; only propanil could be used as an effective substrate. The extensive substrate range of AM indicates it may have broad potential applications in biosynthetic processes and biodegradation.