A complete isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase gene (ileS) of Campylobacter jeju
ni was isolated from a C. jejuni TGH9011 genomic DNA library construct
ed in pBluescript. The complete coding sequence, flanking regions and
transcription start point were determined. The deduced isoleucyl-tRNA
synthetase (IleRS) had 917 amino acids with a molecular mass of 105399
Da. which was consistent with the observed sire of 105 kDa in Escheri
chia coli maxicells. The ileS gene was mapped onto the physical map of
the C. jejuni genome. Alignment of the C. jejuni IleRS sequence with
six other bacterial IleRS sequences and two lower eukaryotic IleRS seq
uences identified seven conserved motifs, including the two signature
sequences, HIGH and KMSKS, of class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.