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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Functional Complementation Analysis (FCA): A Laboratory Exercise Designed and Implemented to Supplement the Teaching of Biochemical Pathways
Published on: June 24, 2016
A small gene, designated comS, located within the coding region of the fourth amino acid-activation domain of srfA,
L W Hamoen1, H Eshuis, J Jongbloed
1Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The valine-activation domain-encoding portion of the srfA locus (srfA-d4) is not only involved in the non-ribosomal synthesis of surfactin, but is also required for the regulation of competence development. In this study we show that impairment of the adenylation activity of the valine-activating domain did not affect competence development. Deletion analysis and complementation studies delineated the competence-required portion of srfA-d4 to a 168 bp fragment, which contains a small open reading frame (ORF), designated comS, encoding a polypeptide of 46 amino acids, embedded within, but translated in, a frame different from that of srfA-d4. Introduction of an amber mutation in the comS-coding frame prevented competence development, demonstrating the involvement of comS in this prokaryotic specialization process.
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