Characterization and analysis of a new gene involved in glucose starvationresponse in Enterococcus faecalis

The genome sequence, of Enterococcus faecalis, led us to discover that gls2 4 encoding a general stress protein, seems to be in the second last positio n of a putative six-gene operon structure. Interestingly, another gene name d orf4 located just upstream from gls24 shows strong identity (72%) with th is last. To determine the role of the orf4 gene in E. faecalis, we have con structed a mutant strain by homologous recombination. Phenotypic analysis o f these cells, reveals that Orf4 is probably involved in cell structure in stationary phase. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.