Molecular cloning and characterization of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis promoters in Escherichia coli

DNA fragments from Mycobacterium paratuberculosis were cloned in the promoter probe plasmid pKO1. Of 957 recombinant DNA clones, 24 induced synthesis of galactokinase (the reporter gene) when these plasmids were transformed into an Escherichia coli strain deficient for the enzyme. A DNA insert from one putative promoter-containing plasmid, designated pAG5, was sequenced and shown to contain, a characteristic RNA polymerase binding site, a probable ribosomal binding site and a putative open reading frame.