Organization and transcriptional characterization of the cat1 gene cluster in Acinetobacter lwoffii K24

Previously, we have reported that two clustered cat genes from Acenitobacter lwoffii K24 had different arrangements, catB(1)C(1)A(1) and catB(2)A(2)C(2) (Kim, S.I., S.-H. Leem, J.-S. Choi, Y.H. Chung, S. Kim, Y.-M. Park, Y. K. Park, Y. N. Lee, and K.-S. Ha. 1997, J. Bacteriol. 179, 5226-5231). By further analysis of the organization of the cat(1) gene cluster, we obtained a complete sequence of the catB(1) gene, which encoded 40.8-kDa polypeptide containing 379 amino acids, and found a open reading frame (ORF) coding a putative regulatory protein in upstream region of catB(1) on plasmid pCD1-1. This ORF encoded 34.2-kDa polypeptide containing 379 amino acids and had more than 40% identity with catR, LysR family regulatory protein of Pseudomonas putida. RT-PCR, Northern blot analysis and primer extension assay for transcriptional analysis of the cat(1) gene cluster revealed that the catB(1)C(1) genes were cotranscribed and the catA(1) gene was independently transcribed. (C) 1998 Academic Press.