ISSN:
0884-3996
Keywords:
Gene regulation
;
bacterial bioluminescence
;
Vibrio fischeri
;
Vibrio harveyi
;
lux genes
;
Chemistry
;
Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Comparison of the nucleotide sequences and gene organization of the lux systems from Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio fischeri has demonstrated that the location and order of the lux structural genes are highly conserved whereas considerable divergence has arisen in the location and/or presence of lux regulatory genes in the two marine bacteria. The order of the lux structural genes (luxCDABE) are identical in the two bacteria with the three fatty acid reductase genes (luxCDE) required for aldehyde biosynthesis flanking the luciferase genes (luxAB). Complementation in trans of the upstream V. fischeri DNA containing the luxC and luxD structural genes with the downstream luxA, B and E genes of V. harveyi resulted in luminescent Escherichia coli that did not require any exogenous aldehyde. These results indicate that the light-emitting systems are very similar in the two bacteria.However, the lux regulatory systems in these two bacteria appear to have clearly diverged. In V. harveyi, an open reading frame of 〉40 codons does not exist within 600 bp of the start of luxC in contrast to the luxl regulatory gene present in the V. fischeri lux system. An open reading frame of 615 bp is present farther upstream of luxC with the same direction of transcription and approximate location as the luxR regulatory gene of V. fischeri; however, apparent homologies do not exist between the two genes. The similarities in organization of the lux structural genes and the differences in the existence and/or location of lux regulatory genes in the two Vibrio species raises the question of how these marine bacteria can have a similar growth-dependent regulation of luminescence expression.
Additional Material:
7 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bio.1170030406
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