Structural analysis of the genes encoding the molybdenum-iron protein of nitrogenase in the Parasponia rhizobium strain ANU289

Abstract

The genes encoding the Molybdenum-Iron protein component of nitrogenase (nifD and nifK) have been identified and fully characterised in the Parasponia Rhizobium strain ANU289. The two genes are contiguous and are separated from the gene encoding the Fe-protein component of nitrogenase (nifH) by 21 kb of DNA. We present the entire DNA sequence of the nifD and nifK genes, thus completing the characterisation of the primary structure of the nitrogenase genes in this Rhizobium strain. Comparison of the sequence preceding the transcription initiation point of nifDK with that preceding nifH reveals a consensus promoter sequence 5'-PyTGGCAPyG-4 bp-TTGC(T/A)-10 bp-3'. This consensus promoter is found preceding nif genes in both fast-growing and slow-growing Rhizobium strains and shows a structural similarity to that preceding the coordinately-regulated nif operons in the asymbiotic organism Klebsiella pneumoniae.