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Nucleotide sequence of the recF gene cluster from Staphylococcus aureus and complementation analysis in Bacillus subtilis recF mutants

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Abstract

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a 3.5 kb segment in the recF region of the Staphylococcus aureus chromosome. The gene order at this locus, dnaA-dnaN-recF-gyrB is similar to that found in the replication origin region of many other bacteria. S. aureus RecF protein (predicted molecular mass 42.3 kDa), has 57% amino acid sequence identity with the Bacillus subtilis RecF protein (42.2 kDa), but only 26% with the Escherichia coli RecF protein (40.5 kDa). We have shown that the S. aureus recF gene partially complements the defect of a B. subtilis recF mutant, but does not complement an E. coli recF strain. The amino acid sequence alignment of seven available RecF proteins (five of them from bacteria of gram-negative origin) allowed us to identify eight highly conserved regions (α to θ) and to predict five new conserved regions within the gram-positive group (a to f). We suggest that the basic mechanism of homologous recombination is conserved among free-living bacteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Ihstrasse 73, D-14195, Berlin, Germany

    J. C. Alonso

  2. Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Campus Universidad Autónoma, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    J. C. Alonso

  3. Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, St. Georges's Hospital Medical School, University of London, SW17 0RE, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK

    L. M. Fisher

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  1. J. C. Alonso
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  2. L. M. Fisher
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Communicated by H. Böhme

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Alonso, J.C., Fisher, L.M. Nucleotide sequence of the recF gene cluster from Staphylococcus aureus and complementation analysis in Bacillus subtilis recF mutants. Molec. Gen. Genet. 246, 680–686 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290713

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290713

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