Branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: nucleotide sequence of the ilvE gene and the deduced amino acid sequence

The ilvE gene of the Escherichia coli K-12 ilvGEDA operon, which encodes branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase [EC 2.6.1.42], was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of 1.5 kilobase pairs containing the gene was determined. The coding region of the ilvE gene contained 927 nucleotide residues and could encode 309 amino acid residues. The predicted molecular weight, amino acid composition and the sequence of the N-terminal 15 residues agreed with the enzyme data reported previously (Lee-Peng, F.-C., et al. (1979) J. Bacteriol. 139, 339-345). From the deduced amino acid sequence, the secondary structure was predicted.     

Characterization and sequence of the Escherichia coli panBCD gene cluster

Abstract A metabolic key enzyme malate dehydrogenase (MDH) was purified from a deep-sea psychrophilic bacterium, Vibrio sp. strain no. 5710. The enzyme displayed an optimal activity shifted toward lower temperature and a pronounced heat lability. A gene encoding this enzyme was isolated and cloned. Recombinant Escherichia coli cells harboring the isolated clone expressed MDH activity with temperature stability identical to that of the parental psychrophile. Nucleotide sequencing of the gene revealed that its primary sequence was similar to that of a mesophile E. coli MDH (78% amino acid identity), for which the three-dimensional structure is known. The enzyme is thus suitable for the analysis of molecular adaptations to low temperatures.     

Aromatic amino acid aminotransferase of Escherichia coli: nucleotide sequence of the tyrB gene

The tyrB gene of E. coli K-12, which encodes aromatic amino acid aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.57) was cloned. The nucleotide sequence of about 2 kilobase pairs containing the gene was determined. The coding region of the tyrB gene and the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that the aromatic amino acid aminotransferase of E. coli is homologous with the aspartate aminotransferase.     

大肠杆菌O11 O-抗原基因簇序列的破译及特异分子标识的鉴定

大肠杆菌O11是一种可在人畜间交叉传染的强致病菌,具有潜在流行性爆发的危险。现完成了O11 O-抗原基因簇的破译,筛选和鉴定了多种特异分子标识,并实现了对大肠杆菌O11的快速、灵敏和准确的分子分型检测。利用鸟枪法测定大肠杆菌O11 O-抗原基因簇的序列全长为14180bp,生物信息学方法分析序列结构,共发现12个基因:GDP-L型岩藻糖合成途径基因(gmd,fcl,gmm,manC,manB)、UDP-N乙酰葡萄糖C4异构酶基因(gne)、O-抗原转运酶基因(wzx)、O-抗原聚合酶基因(wzy)和4个糖基转移酶基因;用PCR方法筛选出2个针对大肠杆菌O11的特异基因和4对特异引物,并进行环境样品检测实验鉴定了该PCR检测方法的灵敏度;设计并筛选出8条针对大肠杆菌O11的特异探针。     

Nucleotide sequence of the melB gene and characteristics of deduced amino acid sequence of the melibiose carrier in Escherichia coli

The nucleotide sequence of the melB gene coding for the melibiose carrier in Escherichia coli has been determined. The melibiose carrier is predicted to consist of 469 amino acid residues, resulting in a protein with a molecular weight of 52,029. The predicted carrier protein is highly hydrophobic (70% nonpolar amino acid residues). The hydropathic profile suggests that there are 10 long hydrophobic segments in the primary structure of the carrier protein. Most of them seem to traverse the membrane. Although the hydropathic profile of the melibiose carrier is similar to that of the lactose carrier as a whole, homology in the primary structure between the two carriers is very low. Furthermore, no homology in the nucleotide sequence is found in the structural genes for the two carriers. However, the nucleotide sequences of the intergenic regions are very similar between the melibiose operon and the lactose operon. There is a typical intercistronic regulatory sequence in the 3'-flanking region of the melB as well as in that of the lacY, which suggests the presence of another gene downstream of the melB.     

Revised nucleotide sequence of the gltP gene, which encodes the proton-glutamate-aspartate transport protein of Escherichia coli K-12.

The gene encoding the proton-glutamate carrier (GltP) of Escherichia coli K-12 was sequenced, and the primary structure of the protein was analyzed. The nucleotide sequence was found to differ in several aspects from the previously published sequence (B. Wallace, Y. Yang, J. Hong, and D. Lum, J. Bacteriol. 172:3214-3220, 1990). The corrected open reading frame encodes a protein of 437 (instead of 395) amino acids. Hydropathy analysis predicts 12 membrane-spanning alpha-helical regions. The complementary strand does contain an open reading frame possibly encoding a highly hydrophilic polypeptide of 272 amino acids.     

Derived amino acid sequence and identification of active site residues of Escherichia coli beta-hydroxydecanoyl thioester dehydrase

The nucleotide sequence of the fabA gene encoding beta-hydroxydecanoyl thioester dehydrase, a key enzyme of the unsaturated fatty acid synthesis pathway of Escherichia coli, has been determined by the dideoxynucleotide sequencing technique. Most of the sequence was obtained by sequencing intragenic insertions of the transposon, Tn1000, isolated in vivo. A synthetic primer complementary to a portion of the inverted repeat sequences at the ends of the transposon was used to prime DNA synthesis into the flanking fabA sequences. The gene is composed of 516 nucleotides (171 amino acid residues) encoding a protein with a molecular weight of 18,800. Approximately half of the derived amino acid sequence was confirmed by automated Edman sequencing of peptides obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage. The active site histidine residue (His-70) has been identified by analysis of the peptides labeled by reaction with 14C-labeled 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine, a specific mechanism-activated inhibitor. A cysteine residue (Cys-69) adjacent to the active site histidine may play the role in catalysis previously assigned to a tyrosine residue. We also report a simplified purification process for the dehydrase beginning with extracts of a brain which greatly overproduces the enzyme.     

Nucleotide sequence of the pldB gene and characteristics of deduced amino acid sequence of lysophospholipase L2 in Escherichia coli

The nucleotide sequence of the pldB gene of Escherichia coli K-12, which codes for lysophospholipase L2 located in the inner membrane, was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of lysophospholipase L2 contains 340 amino acid residues, resulting in a protein with a molecular weight of 38,934. It is characterized by a high content of arginine residues (36 out of 340 residues). The amino acid sequence near the NH2-terminus of the protein is composed of a large number of polar or charged amino acid residues, suggesting that this region cannot be a signal peptide. The hydropathy profile of the deduced amino acid sequence of lysophospholipase L2 was studied. Most of the region was rather hydrophilic, and there was no stretch of hydrophobic amino acid region, such as might be predicted to traverse the lipid bilayer. These results are consistent with the experimental observation that lysophospholipase L2 is extracted by salt solution from the membrane fraction, and it may be classified as a peripheral membrane protein. Computer analysis showed that there is no homology in amino acid sequences between lysophospholipase L2 and other extracellular phospholipases, as well as detergent-resistant phospholipase A, which is another membrane-bound phospholipase in E. coli and whose DNA sequence was determined (Homma, H., Kobayashi, T., Chiba, N., Karasawa, K., Mizushima, H., Kudo, I., Inoue, K., Ideka, H., Sekiguchi, M., & Nojima, S. (1984) J. Biochem. 96, 1655-1664). This is the first report of the primary structure of a lysophospholipase.     

Nucleotide sequence of the secA gene and secA(Ts) mutations preventing protein export in Escherichia coli.

The DNA sequence of the secA gene, essential for protein export in Escherichia coli, was determined and found to encode a hydrophilic protein of 901 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 101,902, consistent with its previously determined size and subcellular location. Sequence analysis of 9 secA(Ts) mutations conferring general protein export and secA regulatory defects revealed that these mutations were clustered in three specific regions within the first 170 amino acid residues of the SecA protein and were the result of single amino acid changes predicted to be severely disruptive of protein structure and function. The DNA sequence immediately upstream of secA was shown to encode a previously inferred gene, gene X. Sequence analysis of a conditionally lethal amber mutation, am109, previously inferred to be located proximally in the secA gene, revealed that it was located distally in gene X and was conditionally lethal due to its polar effect on secA expression. This and additional evidence are presented indicating that gene X and secA are cotranscribed.     

Evolutionary origins and sequence of the Escherichia coli O4 O-antigen gene cluster

Escherichia coli express many types of O antigen, present in the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall. O-Antigen biosynthesis genes are clustered together and differences seen in O-antigen types are due to genetic variation within this gene cluster. Sequencing of the E. coli O4 O-antigen gene cluster revealed a similar gene order and high levels of similarity to that of E. coli O26; indicating a common ancestor. These lateral transfer events observed within O-antigen gene clusters may occur as part of the evolution of the pathogenic clones.     

mRNA sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of the mumps virus small hydrophobic protein gene.

The mRNA of a putative small hydrophobic protein (SH) of mumps virus was identified in mumps virus-infected Vero cells, and its complete nucleotide sequence was determined by sequencing the genomic RNA and cDNA clones and partial sequencing of mRNA. The SH mRNA is 310 nucleotides long excluding the poly(A) and contains a single open reading frame encoding a protein of 57 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 6,719. The predicted protein is highly hydrophobic and contains a stretch of 25 hydrophobic amino acids near the amino terminus which could act as a membrane anchor region. There is no homology between the putative SH protein of mumps virus and the SH protein of simian virus 5, even though the SH genes are located in the same locus in the corresponding genome. One interesting observation is that the hydrophobic domain of simian virus 5 SH protein is at the carboxyl terminus, whereas that of mumps virus putative SH protein is near the amino terminus.     

RNA polymerase rifampicin resistance mutations in Escherichia coli: sequence changes and dominance

Five recombinant plasmids, pBK2646, pBK611, pRC3, pRC4 and pRC5, carrying rpoB rifampicin-resistant RNA-polymerase genes were obtained. The sequence analysis of these plasmids revealed certain structural changes in the rpoB gene which specify corresponding alterations in the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. Some functional properties of the corresponding mutant strains and their RNA polymerases have been investigated.     

Structure of the yeast valyl-tRNA synthetase gene (VASI) and the homology of its translated amino acid sequence with Escherichia coli isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase

The VASI gene encoding the valyl-tRNA synthetase from yeast was isolated and sequenced. The gene-derived amino acid sequence of yeast valyl-tRNA synthetase was found to be 23% homologous to the Escherichia coli isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase. This is the highest level of homology reported so far between two distinct aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and is indicative of an evolutionary relationship between these two molecules. Within these homologous sequences, two functional regions could be recognized: the HIGH region which forms part of the binding site of ATP and the KMSKS region which is recognized as the consensus sequence for the binding of the 3'-end of tRNA (Hountondji, C., Dessen, Ph., and Blanquet, S. (1986) Biochemie (Paris) 68, 1071-1078). Secondary structure predictions as well as the presence of both HIGH and KMSKS regions, delineating the nucleotide-binding domain and the COOH-terminal helical domain in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases of known three-dimensional structure, suggest that the yeast valyl-tRNA synthetase polypeptide chain can be folded into three domains: an NH2-terminal alpha-helical region followed by a nucleotide-binding topology and a COOH-terminal domain composed of alpha-helices which probably carries major sites in tRNA binding.     

Effects of rifampicin resistant rpoB mutations on antitermination and interaction with nusA in Escherichia coli

Rifampicin resistant (Rifr mutations map in the rpoB gene encoding the beta subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. We have used our collection of 17 sequenced Rifr mutations to investigate the involvement of E. coli RNA polymerase in the antitermination systems enhancing expression of delayed early lambda genes or stable RNA. We have found that Rifr mutations affect both lambda N-mediated antitermination and the cellular antitermination system involved in synthesis of stable RNA. Because NusA is involved in antitermination and termination, we also investigated the interaction of NusA and RNA polymerase by determining whether Rifr mutations alter NusA-dependent termination or antitermination in cells with defective nusA alleles. We have shown that Rifr mutations can either enhance or suppress the phenotypes of defective nusA alleles. Most Rifr mutations alter the temperature range over which the nusA1 allele supports lambda N-mediated antitermination. In addition, a number of Rifr alleles restore termination to the nusA10(Cs) and the nusA11(Ts) mutants defective in this process. Our results indicate that the region of the rpoB gene defined by the Rifr mutations is involved in the antitermination process and affects the activity of the NusA protein directly or indirectly.