Open AccessA novel organization of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase operon of Thermodesulforhabdus norvegica verified by RT‐PCR
Author(s) -
Larsen Ø,
Lien T,
Birkeland N.K
Publication year - 2001
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.1574-6968.2001.tb10824.x
Subject(s) - operon , sulfite reductase , biology , gene , genetics , open reading frame , sulfite , gene cluster , sulfur metabolism , reductase , biochemistry , escherichia coli , enzyme , peptide sequence
The nucleotide sequence of the gene cluster for the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (Dsr) from the Gram‐negative thermophilic sulfate reducer Thermodesulforhabdus norvegica was determined. The Dsr‐encoding genes ( dsrAB ) were found to be located in an operon encompassing four other open reading frames in the following order: dsrD – dsrA – dsrB – dsrN – dsrC – fdx . Localization of these six genes in the same operon supports previous suggestions that dsrD , ‐ C and ‐ N play essential roles in the mechanism for reduction of sulfite to sulfide. Transcriptional analysis showed that these genes constitute a contiguous transcriptional unit of at least 5 kb. The phylogeny of Dsr is discussed.