title: Genetic evidence for a novel thymidylate synthase in the halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum and in Campylobacter jejuni.
abstract: A search of the complete genome sequence of the halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum failed to identify a gene homologous to the thymidylate synthase (thyA) gene present in the closely related Haloferax volcanii. To understand the source of thymidine synthesis in Hbt. salinarum, a genomic library of Hbt. salinarum was constructed and used to complement a Hfx. volcanii thyA deletion mutation. The Hbt. salinarum ORF that complemented the thyA mutation shares sequence homology with ORFs found in numerous microorganisms that lack a thyA gene, including the recently discovered thyX of Helicobacter pylori. We also show that a homolog of the Hbt. salinarum ORF is present in Campylobacter jejuni and is able to complement an Escherichia coli thyA mutant under oxygen-limiting conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giladi
authors.forename: Gili
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bitan-Banin
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mevarech
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortenberg
mesh_terms: D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D017353:Gene Deletion; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D015698:Genomic Library; D019617:Halobacterium salinarum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D013940:Thymidylate Synthase