THE CLONING AND NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF A CORYNEBACTERIUM-GLUTAMICUM 3-DEOXY-D-ARABINOHEPTULOSONATE-7-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE GENE

The aro gene of Corynebacterium glutamicum CCRC 18310 encoding 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase was isolated by complementation of a DAHP synthase-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli AB3257. The specific activity of DAHP synthase was increased four-fold in a C glutamicum strain harboring the cloned aro gene. The complete nucleotide sequence of the aro gene and its 5' and 3' flanking regions has been determined. The sequence contained an open reading frame of 368 codons, from which a protein with a molecular mass of 39 340 Da could be predicted. The deduced amino acid sequence shows high identity with the aro gene products of E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium.