The gene encoding P27 lipoprotein and a putative antibiotic-resistence gene form an operon

BIGI, FABIANA; ALITO, ALICIA; ROMANO, MARÍA ISABEL; ZUMÁRRAGA, MARTÍN JOSÉ; CAIMI, KARINA; CATALDI, ANGEL

MICROBIOLOGY-UK

SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY

Año: 2000 vol. 146 p. 1011 - 1018

1350-0872

P27 is an antigenic membrane lipoprotein synthesized by members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Northern blotting and RT-PCR experiments indicated that the genes encoding P27 and a putative antibiotic transporter (P55) form an operon. A promoter region was identified and characterized by deletion analysis in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Two transcription initiation points were mapped in Mycobacterium bovis BCG by primer extension analysis to 76 bp and 87 bp upstream of the ATG initiation codon. Putative -10 and -35 promoter consensus sequences associated with these showed 66% similarity to previously identified mycobacterial promoters. These results suggest that the P27/P55 operon is transcribed from two promoters in M. bovis BCG.