SOME OF THE OUT GENES INVOLVED IN THE SECRETION OF PECTATE LYASES IN ERWINIA-CHRYSANTHEMI ARE REGULATED BY KDGR

The out genes of Erwinia chrysanthemi are required for the translocation across the outer membrane of pectate lyases and cellulases. We present the characterization and the nucleotide sequence of five genes of the out cluster. The products of outS, B, C, D and E have significant homology with the PulS, B, C, D and E proteins necessary to the secretion of pullulanase in Klebsiella pneumoniae. An open reading frame, outT, located between outB and outC has no homology with the pul cluster but is involved in secretion. outC, outD and outE form an operon while outS, outB and outT constitute independent transcription units. outT and the outCDE operon are regulated by kdgR, the negative regulatory gene controlling pectinase production. outB and outS seem to be expressed constitutively.