title: A Francisella tularensis DNA clone complements Escherichia coli defective for the production of Era, an essential Ras-like GTP-binding protein.
abstract: We cloned the era gene of Francisella tularensis from a plasmid library by heterologous genetic complementation of an Escherichia coli mutant conditionally defective for the production of Era, an essential protein for cell growth. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that, in F. tularensis, era constitutes a single gene operon. ORFs aspC and mdh encoding aspartate aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase, respectively, flank era in F. tularensis. Although classified as Gram-, the flanking regions and the relative location of era in F. tularensis are distinctly different from those of typical Gram- and Gram+ bacteria. Computer analysis of bacterial Era protein sequences identified conserved domains in addition to the common G domains of most GTP-binding proteins.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Control and Genetics Section, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, MD 21702-1201, USA. zuber@ncifcrf.gov
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuber
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Dertzbaugh
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Court
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000235:genetics*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014406:Tularemia / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C068027:era protein, E coli; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins