Abstract
We describe a large bacterial locus that, unusually, encodes components typically required for both the non-ribosomal synthesis of peptides and also polyketide/fatty acid synthase function. Two tandem ABC transporter genes in this putative nrp (non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide) operon suggest that the principal product may be secreted. Immediately distal to the nrp operon is a gene, irpP, encoding a small peptide similar to the Bacillus ComX pheromone that in its mature, extracellular form increases expression of unlinked non-ribosomal peptide synthesis genes. Transcription of both the nrp operon and irpP was up-regulated in iron-limiting culture conditions, consistent with the presence of a putative Fur repressor-binding site 5′ of irpP. The locus was isolated from Proteus mirabilis as the site of a TnphoA insertion causing impaired swarm cell differentiation and an aberrant swarming pattern. The mutation was in one of the transporter genes, but a comparable swarming defect resulted from interposon disruption of the putative nrp synthetase gene.
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Received: 11 July 1996/Accepted 22 August 1996
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Gaisser, S., Hughes, C. A locus coding for putative non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide synthase functions is mutated in a swarming-defective Proteus mirabilis strain . Mol Gen Genet 253, 415–427 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380050339
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380050339