Cloning andnucleotide sequence ofthegeneencoding theEcalDNAmethyltransferas e

Thegenecoding fortheGGTNACCspecific EcalDNA methyltransferase (M.Ecal) hasbeencloned inE.coli fromEnterobacter cloacae andits nucleotide sequence hasbeendetermined. TheecaiMgenecodesfora protein of452aminoacids (Mr: 51,111). ItwasdeterminedthatM.Ecal isanadenine methyltransferase. M.Ecal showslimited aminoacidsequence similarity tootheradenine methyltransferases. A clonethat expresses Ecalmethyltransferase athighlevel was constructed.