title: Gene duplication in the evolution of the two complementing domains of gram-negative bacterial tetracycline efflux proteins.
abstract: The resistance of Gram- bacteria to the broad-spectrum antibiotic tetracycline (Tc) results from energy-dependent drug efflux mediated by the tet gene product, the cytoplasmic membrane Tet protein. Amino acid (aa) sequences deduced from total tet nucleotide sequences of three different resistance determinants (classes A, B and C) indicate that the protein products [Tet(A), Tet(B), and Tet(C)] share a common ancestor. Hydropathic analysis of Tet sequences predicts twelve transmembrane segments in each protein, with six occurring in each half of the molecule. More importantly, the linear distributions of these segments in the N- and C-terminal halves are nearly identical, suggesting that the two halves of each Tet protein are related by a process of tandem gene duplication and divergence. Indeed, a variable but significant conservation of sequence was detected among the N- and C-terminal halves for all possible comparisons of the three proteins. Such conservation was not observed within other prokaryotic integral membrane proteins or when other prokaryotic proteins were compared to Tet halves. Similarity, both in sequence and in predicted transmembrane structural organization, strongly suggests that a common ancestor of Tet(A), Tet(B), and Tet(C) arose by duplication of a gene reading frame specifying a transmembrane protein of approximately 200 aa residues. The two halves of Tet proteins correspond to the two domains, alpha and beta, which have distinct, complementary roles in Tc efflux. Nevertheless, selective constraints to function in the cytoplasmic membrane have apparently led to maintenance of similar patterns of secondary structural organization in these complementary domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Heinrikson
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kézdy
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011815:R Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012984:Software; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C034811:tetracycline resistance-encoding transposon repressor protein