title: Molecular characterization of the Treponema denticola fliQ region.
abstract: A Treponema denticola 4.2 kb DNA region containing four complete genes (orfl, fliQ, fliR, and flhB) and a truncated gene (flhA') was sequenced and analyzed. The deduced amino acid sequences of FliQ, FliR, FlhB and FlhA' have significant homology with bacterial proteins associated with the flagellar export apparatus, whereas the deduced amino acid sequence of Orf1 has homology with an E. coli alcohol dehydrogenase. A putative sigma70-like promoter was identified upstream of fliQ. RT-PCR analysis indicated that fliQ, fliR, flhB and flhA' are co-transcribed independently of orfl, suggesting that the motility-associated genes are components of an operon. The location of the T. denticola fliQ-flhA' genes differs from that of the corresponding T. pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi genes which are present in the large fla or flgB flagellar operons, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7435, USA. lstamm@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bergen
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D005810:Multigene Family; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014208:Treponema / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C074891:FliQ protein, Bacteria