title: Expression of cloned plasmid regions encoding colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Molecular cloning from a plasmid encoding colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) and heat-stable enterotoxin isolated two regions, 1 and 2, that are required for the production of CFA/I fimbriae. The level of CFA/I synthesis measured by ELISA was similar in an Escherichia coli K12 strain carrying regions 1 and 2 cloned separately on compatible plasmid vectors to that in the same strain containing the parental plasmid. The structural gene for the CFA/I fimbrial subunit was within region 1. This region directed production in E. coli minicells of at least six independent polypeptides, of which the fimbrial subunit and at least three others appeared to be synthesized as precursor molecules that underwent processing. Cloned DNA containing CFA/I region 2 specified three polypeptides in minicells. Attempts to reduce the size of the cloned region 1 resulted in a derivative plasmid that carried the CFA/I structural gene but did not complement a region-2 recombinant plasmid to restore production of CFA/I fimbriae.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Willshaw
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rowe
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C022924:colonization factor antigens; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins