Relationship between the pel genes of the pelADE cluster in Erwinia chrysanthemi strain B374

In this paper, we have used filter hybridization and nucleotide sequencing to analyse the relationship between the three genes of the pelADE cluster in the Erwinia chrysanthemi (Ech) strain B374. This cluster encodes for three of the five pectate lyase proteins that are involved in the maceration and soft-rotting of plant tissue, an important trait in Ech pathogenicity. Southern hybridization revealed homology between each of the three pel genes. A 3560 bp DNA fragment containing the pelE and pelD genes was sequenced. These two genes show extensive homology in the coding regions but only low homology in the 5' and 3' non-coding regions. However both genes exhibit sequences homologous to the Escherichia coli CAP-binding site consensus sequence upstream of the start codon and an inverted repeat sequence which may act as a rho-independent transcriptional terminator after the translational stop. The pel genes of Ech B374 were also compared with the already sequenced pel genes of EC16, another Ech strain.