title: A crtB homolog essential for photochromogenicity in Mycobacterium marinum: isolation, characterization, and gene disruption via homologous recombination.
abstract: A gene essential for light-induced pigment production was isolated from the photochromogen Mycobacterium marinum by heterologous complementation of an M. marinum cosmid library in the nonchromogen Mycobacterium smegmatis. This gene is part of an operon and homologous to the Streptomyces griseus and Myxococcus xanthus crtB genes encoding phytoene synthase. Gene replacement at this locus was achieved via homologous recombination, demonstrating that its expression is essential for photochromogenicity. The ease of targeted gene disruption in this pathogenic Mycobacterium allows for the dissection of the molecular basis of mycobacterial pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5402, USA. lalitar@cmgm.stanford.edu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Federspiel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Falkow
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D051232:Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase; D008027:Light; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014166:Transferases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D010834:Phytochrome; D002338:Carotenoids; D014166:Transferases; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D051232:Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase