PERTURBATION OF NIFT EXPRESSION IN KLEBSIELLA-PNEUMONIAE HAS LIMITED EFFECT ON NITROGEN-FIXATION

In the nitrogenase system of Klebsiella pneumoniae, nifT is located be tween nifDK, the structural genes for dinitrogenase, and nifY, whose p roduct is involved in nitrogenase maturation It is, therefore, a reaso nable hypothesis that the NifT protein might also have a role in the m aturation of nitrogenase. However, the phenotypic characterization of nifT and nifT-overexpressing strains for effects on the regulation, ma turation, and activity of nitrogenase identified no properties that we re distinct from those of the wild type. We conclude that the K. pneum oniae NifT protein is not essential for nitrogen fixation under the co nditions examined.