GENE ORGANIZATION IN THE DNAA-GYRA REGION OF THE STREPTOMYCES-COELICOLOR CHROMOSOME

The gene organization has been determined for an 9-kb portion of the Streptomyces coelicolor chromosome close to the origin of DNA replication (oriC). Hybridization and DNA sequence analyses revealed the presence of five open reading frames (ORFs) oriented in the same direction as the proximal dnaA and dnaN genes. The deduced products of three of the ORFs have been identified as the S. coelicolor homologs of RecF, GyrB and GyrA. These genes are usually clustered in the dnaA region of bacterial chromosomes. In S. coelicolor however, the usual gene arrangement is altered. The recF gene is flanked by two ORFs, one of which encodes a protein with significant similarity to g-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases (6PGDH), an enzyme that is not immediately linked to DNA metabolism.