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Infection and Immunity, February 1999, p. 694-699, Vol. 67, No. 2
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Characterization of a Novel Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Gene, dmcB, from the Oral Spirochete Treponema denticola

Hong Li,dagger Shinichi Arakawa,Dagger Qing-Dong Deng, and Howard Kuramitsu*

Department of Oral Biology, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14214

Received 26 May 1998/Returned for modification 21 July 1998/Accepted 2 November 1998

Immediately downstream from the previously isolated Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 prtB gene coding for a chymotrypsinlike protease activity, an open reading frame, ORF3, was identified which shared significant homology with the highly conserved domains (HCDs) of bacterial methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs). Nucleotide sequencing of this ORF revealed that the gene would code for a protein with a size of approximately 41 kDa. In addition, this sequence contained a domain which was virtually identical to the HCD of a recently characterized MCP, DmcA, of strain 35405. Therefore, this ORF was named dmcB. Northern blot analysis suggested that dmcB was part of an operon structure containing prtB. Insertional inactivation of dmcB utilizing an ermF-ermAM cassette resulted in a mutant with decreased chemoattraction toward nutrient supplements. In addition, the mutant displayed an altered pattern of methylated proteins under conditions of chemotaxis. Inactivation of the dmcB gene also attenuated the methylation of the DmcA protein. These results suggest that the dmcB gene codes for an MCP in T. denticola which may interact with other MCPs in these organisms.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Oral Biology, SUNY, 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214. Phone: (716) 829-2068. Fax: (716) 829-3942. E-mail: Kuramits{at}ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU.

dagger Present address: Department of General Dentistry, Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, NY 14642.

Dagger Present address: Department of Periodontology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.

Infection and Immunity, February 1999, p. 694-699, Vol. 67, No. 2
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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