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Journal of Bacteriology, March 2000, p. 1313-1320, Vol. 182, No. 5
John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park,
Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom,1 and
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University
of Missouri
Received 23 September 1999/Accepted 13 December 1999
Candidate partitioning genes (parA and
parB) for the linear chromosome of Streptomyces
coelicolor were identified by DNA sequencing in a series of seven
genes located between rnpA and trxA near the
chromosomal replication origin. The most likely translation start point
of parB overlapped the parA stop codon,
suggestive of coregulation, and transcription analysis suggested that
the two genes formed an operon. Deletion of part of parB
had no effect on the growth or appearance of colonies but caused a
deficiency in DNA partitioning during the multiple septation events
involved in converting aerial hyphae into long chains of spores. At
least 13% of spore compartments failed to inherit the normal DNA
allocation. The same phenotype was obtained with a deletion removing a
segment of DNA from both parA and parB.
Reinforcing the idea of a special role for the par locus
during sporulation, the stronger of two parAB promoters was
greatly upregulated at about the time when sporulation septation was
maximal in colonies. Three copies of a 14-bp inverted repeat
(GTTTCACGTGAAAC) were found in or near the parAB
genes, and at least 12 more identical copies were identified within 100 kb of oriC from the growing genome sequence database. Only
one perfect copy of the 14-bp sequence was present in approximately 5 Mb of sequence available from the rest of the genome. The 14-bp sequence was similar to sequences identified as binding sites for
Spo0J, a ParB homologue from Bacillus subtilis believed to be important for DNA partitioning (D. C.-H. Lin and A. D. Grossman, Cell 92:675-685, 1998). One of these sites encompassed the
transcription start point of the stronger parA promoter.
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Partitioning of the Linear Chromosome during
Sporulation of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) Involves
an oriC-Linked parAB Locus

Columbia and the Cancer Research
Center,2 and Department of
Biochemistry, University of Missouri
Columbia,3
Columbia, Missouri
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (0)1603 452571. Fax: 44 (0)1603 456844. E-mail: chater{at}bbsrc.ac.uk.
Present address: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology,
Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111-1800.
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