title: A plasmid-encoded gas vesicle protein gene in a halophilic archaebacterium.
abstract: The halophilic archaebacterium, Halobacterium halobium, displays spontaneous and revertible genetic variability for the gas vesicle phenotype (Vac) at frequencies as high as 0.5 to 5%. To investigate the mechanism of these high-frequency mutations, we have cloned a gas vesicle protein gene (gvpA) from the Vac+ wild-type H. halobium strain, NRC-1, and determined its nucleotide sequence, transcription start site, and genomic location. The gene sequence predicts that the gas vesicle protein has a molecular weight of 9156 and is relatively hydrophobic except for a hydrophilic C-terminal region. Northern hybridization analysis shows that the gene is transcribed into a 350-nucleotide mRNA, and primer extension analysis indicates that transcription begins 20 nucleotides upstream of the ATG start codon. Southern hybridization analysis shows that the gene is encoded by a large H. halobium plasmid. We discuss potential mechanisms for genetic variability of the Vac phenotype and identify sequences in the gvpA promoter region which may function as signals for transcription in H. halobium.
authors.affiliation: Départment de Biochimie et Génétique Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: DasSarma
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Damerval
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tandeau de Marsac
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006217:Halobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D011506:Proteins; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C038524:gas vesicle protein