Cloning and expression of ATP N-glycosidase from the freshwater sponge Ephydatia muelleri

Abstract Previously we had discovered unusual enzymatic activity in the marine sponge Axinella polypoides , ATP N -glycosidase (Reintamm et al., 2003). We show here that the Ephydatia muelleri mRNA encoding protein with PNP_UDP_1 (phosphorylase superfamily) signature is the secreted ATP N -glycosidase. The functionality of the protein was established by recombinant expression in Pichia pastoris . In addition to the enzymatic domain, the full-length protein contains the N-terminal cysteine-rich domain belonging to the subfamily SCP_HrTT-1 (cd05559) of the SCP (sperm coating protein) superfamily (cl00133).