NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF PART OF THE RPOC GENE ENCODING THE BETA' SUBUNIT OF DNA-DEPENDENT RNA-POLYMERASE FROM SOME GRAM-POSITIVE BACTERIA AND COMPARATIVE AMINO-ACID-SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to generate a fragment of the rpoC gene encoding the beta' subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymer ase from the gram-positive species Listeria innocua, Listeria murrayi, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Bacillus anthracis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pediococcus acidilactici. The portion of the PCR fragments sequenc ed corresponded to positions 1 to 3717 of the homologous rpoC gene fro m Escherichia coli. Comparative analysis of the deduced amino acid seq uence identified structural motifs similar to those found in the beta' subunit of E. coli shown to be involved in chelating zinc atoms and D NA binding.