Abstract
Density-dependent expression of luminescence in Vibrio harveyi is regulated by the concentration of an extracellular signal molecule (autoinducer) in the culture medium. A recombinant clone that restored function to one class of spontaneous dim mutants was found to encode functions necessary for the synthesis of, and response to, a signal molecule. Sequence analysis of the region encoding these functions revealed three open reading frames, two (luxL and luxM) that are required for production of an autoinducer substance and a third (luxN) that is required for response to this signal substance. The LuxL and LuxM proteins are not similar in amino acid sequence to other proteins in the database, but the LuxN protein contains regions of sequence resembling both the histidine protein kinase and the response regulator domains of the family of two-component, signal transduction proteins. The phenotypes of mutants with luxL, luxM and luxN defects indicated that an additional signal-response system controlling density-dependent expression of luminescence remains to be identified.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / genetics*
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
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Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
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Base Sequence
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Cloning, Molecular
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Consensus Sequence
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Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
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Genes, Bacterial*
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Homoserine / analogs & derivatives
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Homoserine / biosynthesis
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Luciferases / genetics*
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Luminescent Measurements*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Mutagenesis, Insertional
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Open Reading Frames
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Operon*
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Phenotype
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Protein Kinases*
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Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
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Repressor Proteins*
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Sequence Alignment
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Signal Transduction*
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Trans-Activators*
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Transcription Factors*
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Vibrio / genetics
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Vibrio / physiology*
Substances
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Bacterial Proteins
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Recombinant Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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Trans-Activators
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Transcription Factors
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luxL protein, Vibrio harveyi
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luxM protein, Vibrio harveyi
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LuxR autoinducer binding proteins
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N-(3-hydroxybutanoyl)homoserine lactone
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Homoserine
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Luciferases
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Aldehyde Oxidoreductases
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fatty acid reductase
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Protein Kinases
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luxN protein, Vibrio harveyi