title: Molecular characterization of the argJ mutation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains with requirements for arginine, hypoxanthine, and uracil.
abstract: Arginine auxotrophs are commonly encountered among clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Arginine auxotrophs which also require hypoxanthine and uracil (AHU strains) compose a unique set of strains that are highly homogeneous and are believed to be clonally derived. The Arg- phenotype of these strains is due to a lesion in the argJ gene encoding ornithine acetyltransferase. We have cloned the mutant argJ gene from an AHU strain and compared the sequence of this gene to the wild-type argJ gene. The mutant gene contained a 3-bp deletion within a repetitive region of the argJ gene. This mutation was restored to the wild-type sequence in a naturally occurring Arg+ revertant of the AHU strain. This deletion was detected in a wide variety of other AHU strains but not in other ArgJ- strains or in ArgJ+ strains, supporting the theory that AHU strains are clonally derived.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1101.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mulks
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D019271:Hypoxanthine; D007042:Hypoxanthines / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014498:Uracil / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007042:Hypoxanthines; D019271:Hypoxanthine; D014498:Uracil; D001120:Arginine; D000123:Acetyltransferases; C020646:glutamate acetyltransferase