Cloning and characterization of the pH 2.5 acid phosphatase gene, appA: cyclic AMP mediated negative regulation.

The structural gene for an acid phosphatase coded for by the gene appA of Escherichia coli K12 was cloned from a cosmid library into pBR322 and the restriction map determined. Several appA deletion plasmids and a smaller appA+ plasmid were constructed by in vitro recombination techniques and tested for their ability to complement an appA1 mutation. The appA gene was localized within a 2.1 kb segment. Its orientation was determined by construction of a hybrid plasmid carrying an appA-lacZ fusion. beta-galactosidase synthesized from the appA promoter was negatively regulated by cyclic AMP.