title: Genetic and molecular analysis of the tRNA-tufB operon of the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca.
abstract: The tufB gene, encoding elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), from the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca was cloned and sequenced. It is preceded by four tRNA genes, the first ever described in myxobacteria. The tRNA synthesized from these genes and the general organization of the locus seem identical to that of Escherichia coli, but differences of potential importance were found in the tRNA sequences and in the intergenic regions. The primary structure of EF-Tu was deduced from the tufB DNA sequence. The factor is composed of 396 amino acids, with a predicted molecular mass of 43.4 kDa, which was confirmed by expression of tufB in maxicells. Sequence comparisons between S.aurantiaca EF-Tu and other bacterial homologues from E.coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Thermus thermophilus displayed extensive homologies (75.9%). Among the variable positions, two Cys residues probably involved in the temperature sensitivity of E.coli and S.typhimurium EF-Tu are replaced in T.thermophilus and S.aurantiaca EF-Tu. Since two or even three tuf genes have been described in other bacterial species, the presence of multiple tuf genes was sought for. Southern and Northern analysis are consistent with two tuf genes in the genome of S.aurantiaca. Primer extension experiments indicate that the four tRNA genes and tufB are organized in a single operon.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et d'Ingénierie Génétique-CNRS URA 1172, Université de Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bremaud
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fremaux
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laalami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cenatiempo
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007438:Introns; D008961:Models, Structural; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009231:Myxococcales / Q000235:genetics*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009876:Operon; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D016963:Thermus thermophilus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu