CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GROE LOCUS FROM ACTINOBACILLUS-PLEUROPNEUMONIAE

A 4.4-kb DNA fragment was cloned from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (strain 4074, serotype 1) by genetic complementation with Escherichia coli groES-groEL mutant strains, Sequence analysis of this fragment re vealed a purine nucleoside phosphorylase (DeoD)-encoding gene homolog (deoD), heat-shock response-encoding genes for the small (groES) and l arge subunits (groEL) and a partial open reading frame encoding an alc ohol dehydrogenase homolog (adhE), The predicted amino-acid sequence o f groES and groEL genes showed extensive sequence identity (80-95%) wi th other Pasteurellaceae. The gene organization surrounding the groE l ocus was different from that of Haemophilus influenzae. When expressed in E. coli, groES-groEL genes were capable of complementing the growt h of a lambda lytic phage, indicating a structural as well as function al conservation.