Sequence of Rhodococcus gene cluster encoding the subunits of ethanolamine ammonia-lyase and an APC-like permease

Sequence analysis of a 5173-bp genomic fragment from the nocardioform actinomycete Rhodococcus sp. strain NI86/21 revealed the presence of two genes, eutB and eutC, encoding the putative homologues of the large and small subunits of the ethanolamine ammonia-lyase, respectively, from Salmonella typhimurium. This is the first report of the characterization of these genes in a Gram-positive species. Immediately upstream of eutB, a gene encoding a putative permease of the APC (amino acids, polyamines, choline) transporter family was located. At present, no other Gram-positive members of this permease family are known. The translational coupling of these eut genes suggests an operon-like organization of the ethanolamine genes in Rhodococcus species. A truncated open reading frame downstream of eutC contained an N-terminal motif characteristic of membrane-anchored lipoproteins.