title: Translation of merD in Tn21.
abstract: All four sequenced examples of the mercury resistance (mer) operon of gram-negative bacteria have a promoter-distal reading frame, merD, whose removal has little effect on the resistance phenotype and whose translation has not previously been observed. Using merD-lacZ protein fusions, we show that merD is translated. However, Hg(II)-induced merD expression, as measured by beta-galactosidase activity and immunoblotting, is 10- to 15-fold lower than that of fusions to the gene immediately preceding it, merA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gambill
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Summers
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008628:Mercury; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D008628:Mercury