Open AccessCloning of nitrogenase structural genes from the obligate methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)
Author(s) -
Oakley Christopher J.,
Colin Murrell J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1991.tb04429.x
Subject(s) - biology , gene , rhodobacter , genetics , homology (biology) , genome , structural gene , nitrogenase , obligate , bacteria , escherichia coli , nitrogen fixation , mutant , ecology
Summary Southern hybridization techniques were used to examine the DNA homologies between the three nitrogenase structural genes nif H, nif D and nif K of Klebsiella pneumoniae and DNA from the obligate methane oxidizing bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath). The high degree of homology between methanotroph DNA sequences and the Klebsiella nif H and nif D genes was used to isolate and clone the corresponding Methylococcus nif H and nif D genes. Subsequent restriction analysis revealed that all three nif structural genes were contiguous in the Methylococcu genome in the order nif H, nif D and nif K, as found for the majority of other diazotrophs.