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. 1994 Jan;176(1):108–114. doi: 10.1128/jb.176.1.108-114.1994

The nitrogen-regulated Bacillus subtilis nrgAB operon encodes a membrane protein and a protein highly similar to the Escherichia coli glnB-encoded PII protein.

L V Wray Jr 1, M R Atkinson 1, S H Fisher 1
PMCID: PMC205020  PMID: 8282685

Abstract

Expression of beta-galactosidase encoded by the nrg-29::Tn917-lacZ insertion increases 4,000-fold during nitrogen-limited growth (M.R. Atkinson and S. H. Fisher, J. Bacteriol. 173:23-27, 1991). The chromosomal DNA adjacent to the nrg-29::Tn917-lacZ insertion was cloned and sequenced. Analysis of the resulting nucleotide sequence revealed that the Tn917-lacZ transposon was inserted into the first gene of a dicistronic operon, nrgAB. The nrgA gene encodes a 43-kDa hydrophobic protein that is likely to be an integral membrane protein. The nrgB gene encodes a 13-kDa protein that has significant sequence similarity with the Escherichia coli glnB-encoded PII protein. Primer extension analysis revealed that the nrgAB operon is transcribed from a single promoter. The nucleotide sequence of this promoter has significant similarity with the -10 region, but not the -35 region, of the consensus sequence for Bacillus subtilis sigma A-dependent promoters.

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Selected References

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