Open AccessCharacterization of the Leptospira interrogans S10‐ spc ‐α operon
Author(s) -
Zuerner R.L.,
Hartskeerl R.A.,
Kemp H.,
Bal A.E.
Publication year - 2000
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.1574-6968.2000.tb08912.x
Subject(s) - leptospira interrogans , operon , biology , gene , gene cluster , genetics , primer extension , promoter , microbiology and biotechnology , ribosomal protein , transcription (linguistics) , escherichia coli , rna , leptospira , gene expression , ribosome , linguistics , philosophy , serotype
A ribosomal protein gene cluster from the spirochaete Leptospira interrogans was characterized. This locus is homologous to the Escherichia coli S10, spc , and α operons. Analysis of L. interrogans RNA showed that the ribosomal protein genes within this cluster are co‐transcribed, thus forming an operon. Two transcription initiation sites were mapped by primer extension, upstream of fus , the first gene in this cluster, and sequences from this region provided promoter activity in E. coli . Transcription terminates near a predicted stem‐loop structure following rplQ , the last gene in the cluster. These data suggest that two promoters upstream of fus direct transcription of this 17.5‐kb ribosomal protein gene cluster. Comparison of the L. interrogans S10‐ spc ‐α cluster to homologous loci from Borrelia burgdorferi and Treponema pallidum provided evidence that this region of the genome underwent several rearrangements during spirochaete evolution.