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The Azotobacter vinelandii nifL-like gene: nucleotide sequence analysis and regulation of expression

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Summary

The nucleotide sequence of the Azotobacter vinelandii nifL-like gene (Av-nifL) was determined. The 1.9 kb sequence shows an open reading frame (ORF) of 1557 by which encodes a polypeptide of 519 amino acids, with a calculated molecular weight of 57 793. Av-nifL has about 50 % homology with the Klebsiella pneumoniae nifL gene (Kp-nifL) at the nucleotide level and a little more than 52% homology at the amino acid level. The N-terminal regions show more homology than the C-terminal regions. As is the case in K. pneumoniae, Av-nifL is located just upstream of the A. vinelandii nifA gene (Av-nifA) and both genes constitute an operon. The expression of Av-nifL, however, seems to be independent of NtrA and NtrC. Furthermore, Av-nifL expression is not autogenously regulated by NifA, unlike the case in K. pneumoniae. The expression of an Av-nifL: lacZ fusion in A. vinelandii is inhibited by novobiocin and coumermycin A, which are inhibitors of DNA gyrase.

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Communicated by J. Schell

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Raina, R., Bageshwar, U.K. & Das, H.K. The Azotobacter vinelandii nifL-like gene: nucleotide sequence analysis and regulation of expression. Molec. Gen. Genet. 237, 400–406 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00279444

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00279444

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