CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOB LOCUS FROM RHODOBACTER-SPHAEROIDES REQUIRED FOR MOLYBDENUM COFACTOR BIOSYNTHESIS

A clone carrying the mob locus from Rb. sphaeroides WS8 has been isola ted from a cosmid library by Southern blotting with a probe covering t he mob genes of Escherichia coli. The mob DNA has been subcloned and p artially restores molybdoenzyme activities when transformed into E. co li mob strains. DNA sequence analysis of the subclone carrying the mob genes predicted at least 2 open reading frames. The mobA gene encodes protein FA whilst mobB encodes a nucleotide binding protein which has at least one extra domain relative to its E. coli counterpart. (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science B.V.