Sequence and transcriptional studies of five clustered flagellin genes from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1

Five clustered genes (flaB1, flaB2, flaB3, flaB4 and flaB5) for multiple su bunits of flagellar filaments from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus ko dakaraensis KOD1 were cloned and sequenced. Deduced amino acid sequences we re aligned and it was revealed that five flagellin genes are homologous esp ecially in the N-terminal hydrophobic region which might be important for i nteraction among flagellin subunits. Phylogenetic analysis was performed am ong archaeal flagellins from methanogens, an extreme halophile and our hype rthermophile, indicating that KOD1 flagellins were grouped together with me thanogenic counterparts and were distinguishable from halophilic flagellins . Northern analysis of transcripts from flagellin genes from P. kodakaraens is KOD1 revealed that four major transcripts (0.98, 3.7, 5.4 and 9.2 kb) in itiating from immediately upstream of flaB1 encode different combinations o f five flagellins. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societie s. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.