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A transcription unit for the Rieske FeS-protein and cytochrome b in Chlorobium limicola

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Abstract

A transcription unit petCB from Chlorobium limicola is described. The leading gene petC codes for a Rieske FeS-protein of 19.04 kDa with 181 amino acid residues. The following gene petB codes for a cytochrome b of 47.48 kDa with 428 amino acid residues. The transcription unit lacks a third gene pet-A for cytochrome c 1 or-f, which is found in the fbc-operons of gram-negative bacteria. In the derived amino acid sequence for the Rieske FeS-protein the four cysteines and the 2 histidines are conserved in the peptides binding the 2Fe2S-cluster, although the redox potential of the cluster is about 150 mV more negative in Chlorobium. The gene for cytochrome b includes the coding region for an N-terminal, positively charged extension which is typical for Chlorobium. The gene is not split into two parts for cytochrome b 6 and subunit IV. However, a fourteenth amino acid between the two histidines in the fourth, putative transmembrane helix, and the lack of an eighth transmembrane helix at the C-terminus, among other features, clearly resemble the cytochrome b 6 f-complexes. Therefore, the separation into b 6 f- and bc 1-type complexes during evolution must have occurred before the split of the gene.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Zellbiologie und Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Regensburg, 8400, Regensburg, Germany

    Michael Schütz, Sabine Zirngibl, Johannes le Coutre, Michael Büttner & Günter Hauska

  2. Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, 07110-1199, Nutley, NY, USA

    Dian-Lin Xie & Nathan Nelson

  3. Lehrstuhl für Biochemie 1, Universität Regensburg, 8400, Regensburg, Germany

    Rainer Deutzmann

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  1. Michael Schütz
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  2. Sabine Zirngibl
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  3. Johannes le Coutre
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  4. Michael Büttner
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  5. Dian-Lin Xie
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  6. Nathan Nelson
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  7. Rainer Deutzmann
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  8. Günter Hauska
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Dedicated to Achim Trebst on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

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Schütz, M., Zirngibl, S., le Coutre, J. et al. A transcription unit for the Rieske FeS-protein and cytochrome b in Chlorobium limicola . Photosynth Res 39, 163–174 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029383

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029383

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