title: PCR genome walking identifies a genetic locus comprising two heat shock genes (hslV and hslU) from Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjobovis.
abstract: PCR walking on genomic DNA of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjobovis has identified a genetic locus comprising two heat shock genes (hslV and hslU). This is the first molecular study on hslV and hslU in a Leptospira species. The hslV gene has an open reading frame (ORF) of 543 bp coding for a 180-amino acid polypeptide (19.476 kD) with 49-62% identity to other bacterial HslV homologs. Forty-three nucleotides downstream from the hslV stop codon was found a second heat shock gene hslU with an ORF of 1401 bp encoding a 53.139-kD polypeptide of 467 amino acids with 49-56% identity to the HslU homologs from other bacteria. An Escherichia coli-like ribosome binding site (RBS) and a final sigma32-like heat shock promoter sequence were present upstream of both heat shock genes. Identification of the hslV and hslU genes in a Leptospira species and the high degree of similarity of the encoded proteins to the E. coli homologs suggest that the encoded HslV and HslU proteins function as forming an ATP-dependent protease complex as in E. coli.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Animal Diseases Research Institute, 3851 Fallowfield Road, Nepean, Ontario, Canada K2H 8P9. linm@em.agr.ca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D016386:Chromosome Walking; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007919:Leptospira / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases