Histamine dehydrogenase from Rhizobium sp.: gene cloning, expression in Escherichia coli, characterization and application to histamine determination

The gene encoding histamine dehydrogenase in Rhizobium sp. 4--9 has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The coding region of the gene was 2,079 bp and encoded a protein of 693 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 76,732 Da. This histamine dehydrogenase was related to histamine dehydrogenase from Nocardioides simplex (54.5% identical), trimethylamine dehydrogenase from Methylophilus methylotrophus (39.3% identical) and dimethylamine dehydrogenase from Hyphomicrobium X (38.1% identical), which have a covalent 6-S-cysteinyl flavin mononucleotide and a [4Fe--4S] cluster as redox cofactors. Sequence alignment and a UV-visible absorption spectrum supported the presence of these cofactors in this histamine dehydrogenase. The investigation of the enzymatic properties suggested that this enzyme exhibited the most excellent substrate specificity toward histamine among all amine oxidases or dehydrogenases found to date. The recombinant enzyme was able to be used for the colorimetric determination of histamine, which gave a linear calibration curve and identical data with conventional methods.