Open AccessSequence and characterization of mxaB , a response regulator involved in regulation of methanol oxidation, and of mxaW , a methanol‐regulated gene in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1
Author(s) -
Springer Amy L,
Auman Ann J,
Lidstrom Mary E
Publication year - 1998
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.1574-6968.1998.tb12900.x
Subject(s) - methanol dehydrogenase , methylotroph , open reading frame , biology , gene , genetics , response regulator , regulator , promoter , complementation , gene cluster , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , peptide sequence , gene expression
In the facultative serine cycle methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1, mxaB is required for regulation of methanol oxidation and is located at the end of a large cluster of methylotrophy genes that begins with mxaF . The sequence of mxaB has been obtained and indicates that the gene product is a member of the response regulator family. None of the open reading frames near mxaB showed sequence identity to sensor kinases. Complementation studies suggest a promoter may be located adjacent to mxaB . Another gene ( mxaW ) is present immediately upstream of mxaF , divergently transcribed from a methanol‐inducible promoter. The sequence in the region of mxaW was also obtained. MxaW showed no identity to known proteins. Mutations in mxaW and in an adjacent open reading frame, OrfR, had no effect on growth of M. extorquens AM1 on methanol or other substrates. The MxaW mutant had normal methanol dehydrogenase activity and normal transcription of the mxaF promoter. Therefore, the function of mxaW is unknown.