This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pleier, E Articles by Schmitt, R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pleier, E Articles by Schmitt, R

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1989 March; 171(3): 1467-1475

research-article

Identification and sequence analysis of two related flagellin genes in Rhizobium meliloti.

Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Universität Regensburg, Federal Republic of Germany.

ABSTRACT

The genomic region that codes for the flagellin subunits of the complex flagellar filaments of Rhizobium meliloti was cloned and sequenced. Two structural genes, flaA and flaB, that encode 395- and 396-amino-acid polypeptides, respectively, were identified. These exhibit 87% sequence identity. The amino acid sequences of tryptic peptides suggest that both of these subunit proteins are represented in the flagellar filaments. The N-terminal methionine was absent from the mature flagellin subunits. Their derived primary structures show almost no relationship to flagellins from Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, or Bacillus subtilis but exhibit up to 60% similarity to the N- and C-terminal portions of flagellin from Caulobacter crescentus. It is suggested that the complex flagellar filaments of R. meliloti are unique in being assembled from heterodimers of two related flagellin subunits. The tandemly arranged flagellin genes were shown to be transcribed separately from unusual promoter sequences.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Eggenhofer, E., Rachel, R., Haslbeck, M., Scharf, B. (2006). MotD of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Related {alpha}-Proteobacteria Is the Flagellar-Hook-Length Regulator and Therefore Reassigned as FliK. J. Bacteriol. 188: 2144-2153 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Millikan, D. S., Ruby, E. G. (2004). Vibrio fischeri Flagellin A Is Essential for Normal Motility and for Symbiotic Competence during Initial Squid Light Organ Colonization. J. Bacteriol. 186: 4315-4325 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Scharf, B., Schuster-Wolff-Buhring, H., Rachel, R., Schmitt, R. (2001). Mutational Analysis of the Rhizobium lupini H13-3 and Sinorhizobium meliloti Flagellin Genes: Importance of Flagellin A for Flagellar Filament Structure and Transcriptional Regulation. J. Bacteriol. 183: 5334-5342 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rabaan, A. A., Gryllos, I., Tomas, J. M., Shaw, J. G. (2001). Motility and the Polar Flagellum Are Required for Aeromonas caviae Adherence to HEp-2 Cells. Infect. Immun. 69: 4257-4267 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Shah, D. S. H., Perehinec, T., Stevens, S. M., Aizawa, S.-I., Sockett, R. E. (2000). The Flagellar Filament of Rhodobacter sphaeroides: pH-Induced Polymorphic Transitions and Analysis of the fliC Gene. J. Bacteriol. 182: 5218-5224 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sourjik, V., Muschler, P., Scharf, B., Schmitt, R. (2000). VisN and VisR Are Global Regulators of Chemotaxis, Flagellar, and Motility Genes in Sinorhizobium (Rhizobium) meliloti. J. Bacteriol. 182: 782-788 [Abstract] [Full Text]