title: The pertussis toxin liberation genes of Bordetella pertussis are transcriptionally linked to the pertussis toxin operon.
abstract: The DNA sequence of the pertussis toxin operon (ptx) of Bordetella pertussis predicts that transcription of the operon ends downstream from the ptxS3 gene at a possible stem-loop structure. Secretion of the assembled pertussis toxin into the culture medium required the expression of 8 genes arranged in an operon (ptl) and lying 55 bp downstream from the ptx and ptl operons are cotranscribed and coregulated by the P(TOX) promoter. Deletion of the 55-bp DNA region caused an increase in the amount of the ptl transcripts. It is likely that this DNA region is involved in regulation of the ptx-pti expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Chiron-Biocine, Immunobiological Research Institute Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rappuoli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scarlato
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009876:Operon; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; D037342:Pertussis Toxin