The apeE Gene of Salmonella typhimurium Encodes an Outer Membrane Esterase Not Present in Escherichia coli

Salmonella typhimurium apeR mutations lead to overproduction of an outer membrane-associated N-acetyl phenylalanine β-naphthyl ester-cleaving esterase that is encoded by the apeE gene (P. Collin-Osdoby and C. G. Miller, Mol. Gen. Genet. 243:674–680, 1994). This paper reports the cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the S. typhimurium apeE gene as well as some properties of the esterase that it encodes. The predicted product of apeE is a 69.9-kDa protein which is processed to a 67-kDa species by removal of a signal peptide. The predicted amino acid sequence of ApeE indicates that it is a member of the GDSL family of serine esterases/lipases. It is most similar to a lipase excreted by the entomopathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. The Salmonella esterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of a variety of fatty acid naphthyl esters and of C₆ to C₁₆ fatty acid p-nitrophenyl esters but will not hydrolyze peptide bonds. A rapid diagnostic test reported to be useful in distinguishing Salmonella spp. from related organisms makes use of the ability of Salmonella to hydrolyze the chromogenic ester substrate methyl umbelliferyl caprylate. We report that the apeE gene product is the enzyme in Salmonella uniquely responsible for the hydrolysis of this substrate. Southern blot analysis indicates that Escherichia coli K-12 does not contain a close analog of apeE, and it appears that the apeE gene is contained in a region of DNA present in Salmonella but not in E. coli.