Identification of the regulatory sequence of anaerobically expressed locus aeg-46.5

A newly identified anaerobically expressed locus, aeg-46.5, which is located at min 46.5 on Escherichia coli linkage map, was cloned and analyzed. The phenotype of this gene was studied by using a lacZ operon fusion. aeg-46.5 is induced anaerobically in the presence of nitrate in wild-type and narL cells. It is repressed by the narL gene product, as it showed derepressed anaerobic expression in narL mutant cells. We postulate that aeg-46.5 is subject to multiple regulatory systems, activation as a result of anaerobiosis, narL-independent nitrate-dependent activation, and narL-mediated repression. The regulatory region of aeg-46.5 was identified. A 304-bp DNA sequence which includes the regulatory elements was obtained, and the 5' end of aeg-46.5 mRNA was identified. It was verified that the anaerobic regulation of aeg-46.5 expression is controlled on the transcriptional level. Computer analysis predicted possible control sites for the NarL and FNR proteins. The proposed NarL site was found in a perfect-symmetry element. The aeg-46.5 regulatory elements are adjacent to, but divergent from, those of the eco gene.