title: On the operon structure of the cfx gene clusters in Alcaligenes eutrophus.
abstract: Three transposon Tn5-induced mutants deficient in autotrophic CO2 fixation were isolated from a megaplasmid pHG1-cured strain of Alcaligenes eutrophus H16. Their phenotypes were initially characterized by their ability to form both key enzymes of the Calvin cycle, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) and phosphoribulokinase (PRK). Since the transposon insertions were at different sites within the chromosomal cluster of cfx genes encoding Calvin cycle enzymes, the individual mutants showed different inactivation patterns for Rubisco and PRK synthesis. These data together with already known sequence data and the arrangement of cfx genes suggested that the Rubisco, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase and PRK genes are constituents of the same operon. This was further confirmed by trans complementation analyses which indicated that the very similarly organized pHG1-encoded cfx genes additionally present in wild-type strain H16 are functional and also form a common operon. Each operon may also include a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene. Thus, the duplicated cfx operons of A. eutrophus H16 are large transcriptional units comprising at least about 8 kilobase pairs (kb) and possibly as much as 11 kb.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Windhövel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bowien
mesh_terms: D000421:Alcaligenes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006597:Fructose-Bisphosphatase / Q000235:genetics; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family; D009876:Operon; D010641:Phenotype; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases; D010770:Phosphotransferases; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C022390:phosphoribulokinase; D006597:Fructose-Bisphosphatase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; C022627:sedoheptulose-bisphosphatase; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase