Ribosome-binding Sequence Research Articles

Expression of the avian Na,K-ATPase subunits in Dictyostelium discoideum.

This study explored whether Dictyostelium discoideum can be used to express the avian Na,K-ATPase, a heterodimeric membrane protein. Dictyostelium was able to express mRNAs encoding the avian Na, K-ATPase subunits. However, Dictyostelium expressed avian Na, K-ATPase protein when only when a Dictyostelium consensus ribosomal binding sequence, AAAATAAA, was inserted in front of the open reading frames of the alpha1- and beta1-subunit cDNAs and the first eight codons following the start-translation codons were changed to Dictyostelium preferred codons. These modified mRNAs appeared to be much less stable than the forms that were not readily translated. Dictyostelium could express the avian beta-subunit alone but only expressed the alpha1-subunit when the beta1-subunit was co-expressed. Subunit assembly occurred in cells expressing both alpha1- and beta1-subunits. The bulk of the exogenously expressed sodium pump subunits remained in an intracellular compartment, presumed to be the endoplasmic reticulum. Dictyostelium exported little or no Na, K-ATPase or free beta-subunit to the plasma membrane.

Effect of the replication mode of a plasmid on the stability of multimeric endoxylanase genes in Bacillus subtilis

Effect of the replication mode of a plasmid on the stability of tandemly multimerized endoxylanase genes and a gene dose-dependent expression of the endoxylanase were studied in Bacillus subtilis. The structural genes encoding an endoxylanase, carrying its original promoter and ribosomal binding sequence, were tandemly multimerized and cloned into the Escherichia coli– B. subtilis shuttle plasmid, pJH27Δ88 or pMTL500e, which has a rolling circle-replicon or a theta ( θ)-replicon in B. subtilis, respectively. The cloned dimers in pJH27Δ88, which has a rolling circle-replicon, spontaneously rearranged to monomers in B. subtilis DB104, whereas those in pMTL500e, having a theta ( θ)-replicon, were stably maintained. Expression level of the endoxylanase was proportional to the gene dosage in multimers. The endoxylanase activity in the supernatant increased from 80 U ml −1 with pMTL-1x containing a monomer of the gene to 165 U ml −1 with pMTL-4x containing a tetramer. These results indicate that high level expression of the endoxylanase gene can be obtained by tandemly multimerizing the genes in a plasmid with a theta ( θ)-replicon.

Genetic Structure of thebphGGene Encoding 2-Hydroxymuconic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase ofAchromobacter xylosoxidansKF701

2-Hydroxymuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde (HMS) to an enol form of 4-oxalocrotonate which is a step in the catecholmeta-cleavage pathway. AbphGgene encoding HMS dehydrogenase ofA. xylosoxidansKF701, a soil bacterium degrading biphenyl, was identified at between catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene and HMS hydrolase gene, and its sequence was analyzed. An open reading frame (ORF) corresponding tobphGgene was consisted of 1461 nucleotides with ATG initiation codon and TGA termination codon. The ORF exhibited 66% of G + C content, and a putative ribosome-binding sequence, AGAGA, was identified at about 10 nucleotides upstream initiation codon of thebphGgene. ThebphGgene can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 52 kDa containing 486 amino acid residues. A deduced amino acid sequence of HMS dehydrogenase encoded inbphGgene fromA. xylosoxidansKF701 exhibited the highest 94% homology with that of corresponding enzyme encoded inxylGfromP. putidamt-2, 63% to 90% homology with those of other reported HMS dehydrogenases, and 29% to 42% homology with those of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase, 5-carboxy-HMS dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, indole-3-acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, methylmalonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, and succinylglutamate 5-semialdehyde dehydrogenase. From an alignment of amino acid sequence of HMS dehydrogenase fromA. xylosoxidansKF701 with other reported dehydrogenases, putative cofactor NAD+-binding regions and catalytic residues were identified.

Structure of Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase Gene fromAlcaligenes eutrophus335

Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O), one of extradiol-type dioxygenases cleaving aromatic C-C bond atmetaposition of dihydroxylated aromatic substrates, catalyzes the conversion of catechol to 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. As our ongoing study to characterize biochemical and genetic properties of the extradiol-type dioxygenases at molecular level, a C23O gene encoded in chromosomal DNA ofAlcaligenes eutrophus335, a strain degrading phenol andp-cresol, was cloned. The C23O gene was localized in an 1.4-kbPstI fragment fromA. eutrophus335, and was expressed inE. coliHB101. The C23O exhibited the highest aromatic ring-fission activity to catechol as a substrate, and its relative activity to other dihydroxylated aromatic substrates was in order of catechol >> 4-methylcatechol > 3-methylcatechol, protocatechuate, 4-chlorocatechol > 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate > 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl. Nucleotide sequence of the 1.4-kb fragment has revealed that an open reading frame (ORF) corresponding to the C23O gene was composed of 930 base pairs. A putative ribosome-binding sequence of AGGAG was found at about 10 nucleotides upstream the ORF which can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 34 kDa consisting of 309 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of C23O fromA. eutrophus335 exhibited the highest 59% identity with those of corresponding enzymes fromPseudomonassp. CF600 (pVI150),P. putidaHS1 (pDK1), andP. putidaPpG7 (NAH7). An alignment of amino acid sequences of extradiol-type dioxygenases including C23O fromA. eutrophus335 has revealed that catalytically and structurally important amino acid residues of the enzymes were conserved during evolution.

Translational attenuation of the Bacillus subtilis spo0B cistron by an RNA structure encompassing the initiation region

The spo0B gene, which exists as an operon with the obg gene, is required to initiate sporulation (stage 0) of Bacillus subtilis . This gene encodes a phosphotransferase in the multicomponent phosphorelay system. We here report the novel finding that a spo0B 5'-terminal SLR (stem-loop structure sequestering ribosome binding sequence; ACUCCUAA-X16-UUG GGAG U, Delta G = -8.71 kcal/mol) attenuated spo0B translation. The spo0B gene was efficiently transcribed but Spo0B protein was not overproduced in Escherichia coli when spo0B was induced using expression vectors carrying the SLR- spo0B region under control of the tac promoter. Deletion of the SLR from the vectors resulted in overexpression of spo0B . Therefore, to characterize expression of spo0B with a SLR in B.subtilis we constructed transcriptional and translational lacZ fusions combined with the spo0B 5'-terminal region with a deleted or mutagenized SLR. These constructs were subsequently introduced into B.subtilis as multiple and single copies, then beta-galactosidase activities were measured. The possible SLR also functioned as a negative cis element in B.subtilis. Furthermore, B.subtilis strain 1S16 (spo0B136) lysogenized straight phiCD0B-S and -W, harboring spo0B with mutagenized SLRs that were more (Delta G = -14.0 kcal/mol) and less-stable (Delta G = -1.31 kcal/mol) compared with the wild-type, exhibited null and wild-type sporulation respectively. These results indicate that the spo0B 5'-SLR affects spo0B gene expression for sporulation but that low expression of spo0B through the wild-type SLR was sufficient to initiate sporulation in B.subtilis.

Nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding cis-biphenyl dihydrodiol dehydrogenase ( bphB) and the expression of an active recombinant His-tagged bphB gene product from a PCB degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas putida OU83

The nucleotide sequence of the bphB gene of Pseudomonas putida strain OU83 was determined. The bphB gene, which encodes cis-biphenyl dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (BDDH), was composed of 834 base pairs with an ATG initiation codon and a TGA termination codon. It can encode a polypeptide of 28.91 kDa, containing 277 amino acids. Promoter-like and ribosome-binding sequences were identified upstream of the bphB gene. The bphB nucleotide sequence was used to produce His-tagged BDDH, in Escherichia coli. The His-tagged BDDH construction, carrying a single 6×His tail on the N-terminal portion, was active. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was 128 kDa and on SDS-PAGE analysis the molecular mass was 31 kDa. This enzyme requires NAD + for its activity and its optimum pH is 8.5. Nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequence analyses revealed a high degree of homology between the bphB gene from Pseudomonas putida OU83 and the bphB genes from P. cepacia LB400 and P. pseudoalcaligenes KF707.

Characterization of the Gene Encoding Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase fromAchromobacter xylosoxidansKF701

Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) catalyzes ametacleavage of the aromatic ring in catechol to form 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. A C23O gene was cloned from chromosomal DNA ofA. xylosoxidansKF701, a soil bacterium degrading biphenyl, and expressed inE. coliHB101. In substrate specificity to catechol and its analogs, the C23O exhibited the highest aromatic ring-fission activity to catechol, and its relative activity to other dihydroxylated aromatics was 4-chlorocatechol > 4-methylcatechol > 3-methylcatechol ⪢ 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl. Aromatic ring-fission activity of the C23O to catechol was about 40-fold higher than that to 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the C23O gene fromA. xylosoxidansKF701 revealed an open reading frame consisting of 924 base pairs, and identified a putative ribosome-binding sequence (AGGTGA) at about 10 nucleotides upstream from the initiation codon. The open reading frame can encode a polypeptide chain with molecular weight of 34 kDa containing 307 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the C23O exhibited the highest homology with that of C23O fromPseudomonassp. IC with 96% identity, and the least homology with that of C23O fromP. putidaF1 with 22% identity among reported C23O sequences. Furthermore, comparison of the C23O sequence with other extradiol dioxygenases has led to identification of evolutionally conserved amino acid residues whose possible catalytic and structural roles are proposed.

Improved heterologous expression of the white-rot fungal ligninase H8 by crossover linker mutagenesis.

Using the crossover-linker mutagenesis method, the 5' noncoding region of the lambda ML-1 cDNA, which encodes the ligninase H8 isozyme of the white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, was deleted with the simultaneous insertion of the putative Spodoptera frugiperda ribosome-binding sequence (RBS) (TATAAAT) directly in front of the translation-initiation codon of this gene. A recombinant baculovirus, pVL-Mu-H8, carrying the ligninase-H8 gene was successfully constructed, as determined by both sequence analysis and dot blot hybridization. A more than 18-fold increase in the expression of ligninase H8, compared to the previous pEV11-1A.3 recombinant baculovirus, was detected in the Sf-21 insect cells. This enzyme was detected within 3 d postinfection and was biologically active, capable of oxidizing the model lignin compound, veratryl alcohol. The molecular weight of the overexpressed 42 kD protein was similar to that of the native fungal ligninase-H8 isozyme and it also reacted specifically with the anti-H8 monoclonal antibody (MAb 2D4.9) in Western blot analysis.

Cloning of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase from a marine bacterium, Alcaligenes faecalis AE122, and characterization of its gene product

A DNA fragment that carries the gene coding for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of Alcaligenes faecalis AE122 isolated from seawater. The open reading frame encoding the precursor of the PHB depolymerase was 1905 base pairs (bp) long, corresponding to a protein of 635 amino acid residues ( M r=65 208). The promoter site, which could be recognized by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, was upstream from the gene, and the sequence adhering to the ribosome-binding sequence was found in front of the gene. The deduced amino acid sequence agreed with the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified PHB depolymerase from amino acid 28 onwards. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed the domain structure of the protein; a signal peptide of 27 amino acids long was followed by a catalytic domain of about 400 amino acids, a fibronectin type III module sequence, and a putative substrate binding domain. The molecular mass (62 526) of the mature protein deduced from the nucleotide sequence was significantly lower than the value (95 kDa) estimated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but coincided well with the value (62 426) estimated from matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectra. By comparison of the primary structure with those of other PHB depolymerases, the substrate binding domain was found to consist of two domains, PHB-specific and poly(3-hydroxyvalerate)-specific ones, connected by a linker region. The PHB depolymerase gene was expressed in Escherichia coli under the control of the tac promoter. The enzyme expressed in E. coli was purified from culture broth and showed the same catalytic properties as the enzyme from A. faecalis. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure of Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase Gene Encoded in TOM Plasmid ofPseudomonas cepaciaG4

The catechol 2,3-dioxygenase is an extradiol-type dioxygenase which cleaves the C-C bond at themetaposition of catechol to form 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. A catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene (tomB) in the TOM plasmid ofP. cepaciaG4 has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence was analyzed. The enzyme gene consisted of 945 base pairs with an ATG initiation codon and a TGA termination codon which can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 35 kDa containing 314 amino acid residues, and a putative ribosome-binding sequence was identified at approximately 10 nucleotides upstream of the initiation codon. The deduced amino acid sequence of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase fromP. cepaciaG4 exhibited 79-82% homologies with those of 3-methylcatechol 2,3-dioxygenase ofP. putidaUCC2 and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase ofP. pickettiiPKO1.

Characterization and Subunit Structure of the ATP Synthase of the Halophilic Archaeon Haloferax volcanii and Organization of the ATP Synthase Genes

The archaeal ATPase of the halophile Haloferax volcanii synthesizes ATP at the expense of a proton gradient, as shown by sensitivity to the uncoupler carboxyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, to the ionophore nigericin, and to the proton channel-modifying reagent N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The conditions for an optimally active ATP synthase have been determined. We were able to purify the enzyme complex and to identify the larger subunits with antisera raised against synthetic peptides. To identify additional subunits of this enzyme complex, we cloned and sequenced a gene cluster encoding five hydrophilic subunits of the A1 part of the proton-translocating archaeal ATP synthase. Initiation, termination, and ribosome-binding sequences as well as the result of a single transcript suggest that the ATPase genes are organized in an operon. The calculated molecular masses of the deduced gene products are 22. 0 kDa (subunit D), 38.7 kDa (subunit C), 11.6 kDa (subunit E), 52.0 kDa (subunit B), and 64.5 kDa (subunit A). The described operon contains genes in the order D, C, E, B, and A; it contains no gene for the hydrophobic, so-called proteolipid (subunit c, the proton-conducting subunit of the A0 part). This subunit has been isolated and purified; its molecular mass as deduced by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 9.7 kDa.

Structure of thepcbCGene Encoding 2,3-Dihydroxybiphenyl Dioxygenase ofPseudomonassp. P20

Pseudomonassp. P20 is a soil bacterium growing in biphenyl or 4-chlorobiphenyl as the sole carbon and energy source, where the initial catabolism of biphenyl to form benzoate is catalyzed by four enzymes encoded in thepcbABCDgene cluster. The nucleotide sequence of the 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase gene corresponding to thepcbCgene was determined. ThepcbCgene was composed of 921 base pairs with an ATG initiation codon and a TGA termination codon, which can encode a polypeptide of molecular mass 34 kDa containing 306 amino acids. A promoter-like sequence and ribosome-binding sequence were identified upstream of the initiation codon. The deduced amino acid sequence of 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase exhibited 47% identity with that of corresponding enzyme ofPseudomonassp. DJ-12, and less than 35% identity with those of other extradiol-type dioxygenases.

Analysis of a FliM-FliN flagellar switch fusion mutant of Salmonella typhimurium.

In the course of an analysis of the three genes encoding the flagellar motor switch, we isolated a paralyzed mutant whose defect proved to be a 4-bp deletion of the ribosome binding sequence of the fliN switch gene (V. M. Irikura, M. Kihara, S. Yamaguchi, H. Sockett, and R. M. Macnab, J. Bacteriol. 175:802-810,1993). This sequence lies just before the 3' end of the coding sequence of the upstream fliM switch gene, in the same operon. This mutant readily gave rise to pseudorevertants which, though much less motile than the wild type, did exhibit significant swarming. One such pseudorevertant was found to contain a compensating frameshift such that the fliM and fliN genes were placed in frame, coding for an essentially complete FliM-FliN protein fusion. Minicell analysis demonstrated that, as expected, the parental mutant synthesized an essentially full-length FliM protein but no detectable FliN. The pseudorevertant, in contrast, synthesized a protein with the predicted size for the FliM-FliN fusion protein and no detectable FliM or FliN. Immunoblotting of minicells with antibodies against FliM and FliN confirmed the identities of these various proteins. Immunoblotting of book-basal-body complexes from the wild-type strain gave a strong signal for the three switch proteins FliG, FliM, and FliN. Complexes from the FliM-FliN fusion mutant gave a strong signal for FliG but no signal for either FIiM or FliN; a moderately strong signal for the FliM-FliN fusion protein was seen with the anti-FliM antibody, and a weaker signal was seen with the anti-FliN antibody. The cytoplasmic C ring of the structure, which is seen consistently in electron microscopy of wild-type complexes and which is known to contain the FliM and FliN proteins, was much more labile in the FliM-FliN fusion mutant, giving a fragmented and variable appearance or being completely absent. Complementation data indicated that wild-type FliM had a mild dominant negative effect over the fusion protein, that wild-type FliN and the fusion protein work much better than the fusion protein alone, and that wild-type FliM and FliN together have no major positive or negative effect on the function of the fusion protein. We interpret these data to mean that the FliM-FliN fusion protein incorporates into structure but less stably than do the FliM and FliN proteins separately, that wild-type FliM tends to displace the fusion protein, and that wild-type FliN can supplement the FliN domain of the fusion protein without displacing the FliM domain. The data support, but do not prove, a model in which FliM and FliN in the wild-type switch complex are stationary with respect to each other.

Structure of Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase Gene Encoded in Chromosomal DNA ofPseudomonas putidaKF715

A catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene in chromosomal DNA ofP. putidaKF715 was cloned and its nucleotide sequence analyzed. The enzyme gene was composed of 924 base pairs with ATG initiation codon and TGA termination codon, which can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 35 kDa containing 307 amino acids. A promoter-like sequence and a ribosome-binding sequence were identified upstream the enzyme gene. A deduced amino acid sequence of the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase exhibited 94% identity with that of corresponding enzyme in TOL plasmid and 25% identity with that of 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase from the same strain. Furthermore, sequence comparison of the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase with other extradiol-type dioxygenases has led to identify evolutionally conserved amino acid residues whose possible catalytic roles are proposed.

Fusion with ribosomal protein L32 increased the in vivo thermostability of kanamycin nucleotidyltransferase in Thermus thermophilus

The kanamycin resistance (Km r) gene widely used as an antibiotic resistance marker in Thermus strains was expressed at temperatures of up to 60°C in Thermus thermophilus HB27. We isolated a clone from HB27 that exhibited the Km r phenotype at 70°C. The clone contained a recombinant plasmid pPP442 in which the promoterless Km r gene was preceded by a 236-bp fragment from HB27 chromosome. The location of the transcriptional start site in the 236-bp fragment was determined. The putative promoter sequence in this fragment exhibited similarity to the consensus promoter sequence of T. thermophilus, but its sequence identities with −35 and −10 consensus sequences were low. The activity of the putative promoter was found not to be very strong based on the results of primer extension. A ribosome binding sequence followed by a truncated open reading frame (ORF) was identified in the 236-bp fragment. The ORF was in frame with the Km r gene. No mutation was found in the Km r structural gene. A pPP442 derivative, pPP442-ΔEcUD, was constructed by introducing a frame shift mutation into the ORF. T. thermophilus carrying pPP442-ΔEcUD could not grow at 70°C in Km-containing medium. The location of the 236-bp fragment on the physical map of T. thermophilus HB27 was determined. The entire ORF was cloned from the genome and the amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence showed strong homology to that of ribosomal protein L32 of T. thermophilus HB8. These results suggested that fusion of the ribosomal protein L32 to the N-end of the Km r gene product increased the thermostability of the Km r gene product in T. thermophilus.

Nucleotide Sequence of Salicylate Hydroxylase Gene and Its 5′-Flanking Region ofPseudomonas putidaKF715

The salicylate hydroxylase, a flavoprotein monooxygenase, catalyzes the decarboxylative hydroxylation of salicylate to form catechol. Nucleotide sequence of a salicylate hydroxylase gene and its 5′-flanking region in chromosomal DNA ofPseudomonas putidaKF715 was analyzed. The salicylate hydroxylase was encoded in an open reading frame with 1308 base pairs which can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 48 kDa with 435 amino acids. The open reading frame was preceded by a putative ribosome-binding sequence. A predicted amino acid sequence of the salicylate hydroxylase exhibited 84% identity with corresponding enzyme encoded in NAH7 plasmid, and 20 to 30% homologies with other similar flavoprotein monooxygenases. A 5′-flanking sequence of the salicylate hydroxylase gene exhibited extensive homology with promoter andnahR-binding site ofsaloperon in NAH7 plasmid.

The Role of the Leader Sequence Coding Region in Expression and Assembly of Bacteriorhodopsin

Bacterio-opsin is made as a precursor in Halobacterium halobium, which has 13 additional residues at the amino terminus. The codons for these residues have been proposed to form a hairpin structure in the mRNA and play a role in ribosome binding; the leader peptide sequence also has been proposed to have a role in membrane insertion of bacteriorhodopsin (BR). We have made mutations in the bop gene region coding for the leader sequence and expressed the mutant genes in an H. halobium mutant lacking wild-type BR. The leader sequence coding region was found to be important for the stability of the mRNA and for its efficient translation. Single base substitutions in this region that did not affect the amino acid sequence caused significant reductions in protein expression. Deletion of the leader region resulted in unstable mRNA and almost no BR production. Introduction of a new ribosome-binding sequence within the coding region of the mature protein restored mRNA stability and some protein expression. Protein made without the leader peptide was properly assembled in the membrane.

Characterization of a 3.5-kbp Plasmid from Helicobacter pylori

A 3.5-kbp plasmid (pHPM180) was isolated from Helicobacter pylori (HPM180) and the DNA sequence was determined. Two open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2) were identified which could encode polypeptides of 54,517 and 27,629 Da, respectively. Ribosome binding and promoter consensus sequences were identified, as well as two 232-bp direct repeats and four 22-bp direct repeats. DNA sequence homology was found between pHPM180 ORF1 and a 684-base pair Hin dIII fragment from a 5.6 kbp H. pylori plasmid. ORF1 showed amino acid homology with six replication proteins from bacterial plasmids with theta-type replicons. Additional sequence identity was found between pHPM180 noncoding DNA and a segment of H. pylori pHPK255, a plasmid that replicates via a rolling circle type mechanism. A ribonuclease protection assay determined that ORF1 was transcribed in H. pylori HPM180.

Cloning of Salicylate Hydroxylase Gene and Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase Gene and Sequencing of an Intergenic Sequence between the Two Genes of Pseudomonas putida KF715

The salicylate hydroxylase can convert the salicylate to catechol, and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase catalizes the conversion of catechol to 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. A salicylate hydroxylase gene and a catechol 2,3-dioxygenase have been cloned from chromosomal DNA of P. putida KF715. The two genes have different promoters. An open reading frame with 339 nucleotides preceded by a putative ribosome-binding sequence (GGAGG) was identified in the intergenic sequene between salicylate hydroxylase gene and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene of P. putida KF715 and its sequence analyzed. This open reading frame can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 13 kDa containing 112 amino acids, whose sequence exhibited 87% homology with that of ferredoxin encoded in NAH7 of P. putida PpG7 and significant homology with those of redox components in phenol hydroxylase, benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase, toluate 1,2-dioxygenase, xylene monooxygenase, and toluene 4-monooxygenase.

The tetracycline efflux protein encoded by the tet(K) gene from Staphylococcus aureus is a metal-tetracycline/H + antiporter

The tet(K) gene from Staphylococcus aureus was highly expressed in Escherichia coli by an alteration of its initiation codon from TTG to ATG and its ribosome-binding sequence from GAGG to GGAGG [Noguchi, N. et al. (1994) Biol. Pharm. Bull. 17, 352–355]. The inverted membrane vesicles prepared from the tet(K)-expressing cells showed respiration-dependent [ 3H]tetracycline transport comparable to the vesicles from the tet(B)-expressing cells. The affinity of Tet(K) vesicles to tetracycline was the same as that of Tet(B) vesicles, whereas the former V max value was about 60% of the latter one. Contrary to Tet(B) vesicles, Tet(K) vesicles showed no significant minocycline uptake, which was consistent with the low minocycline resistance of the Tet(K)-producing cells. The tetracycline transport mediated by Tet(K) vesicles was coupled with proton transport and the translocation of 60Co 2+ ions as well as in Tet(B) vesicles. This observation indicates that the class K tetracycline resistance determinant from Gram-positive bacteria also encodes a metaltetracycline/H + antiporter that is functionally similar to that encoded by tet(B), although there is a considerable difference in the primary sequences and the putative topologies of these Tet proteins.