Chromosomal location and nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli dapA gene

In Escherichia coli, the first enzyme of the diaminopimelate and lysine pathway is dihydrodipicolinate synthetase, which is feedback-inhibited by lysine and encoded by the dapA gene. The location of the dapA gene on the bacterial chromosome has been determined accurately with respect to the neighboring purC and dapE genes. The complete nucleotide sequence and the transcriptional start of the dapA gene were determined. The results show that dapA consists of a single cistron encoding a 292-amino acid polypeptide of 31,372 daltons.