Identification and nucleotide sequence of the activator gene of the externally induced phosphoglycerate transport system of Salmonella typhimurium.

A recent study from this laboratory (G-q. Yu, D. Goldrick, H.R. Kaback and J-s. Hong, in preparation) indicates that the externally induced phosphoglycerate transport system (pgt) of Salmonella typhimurium is positively regulated by the activator gene, pgtA, and that the pgtA is localized in the SalI-PstI restriction fragment 3.0 kb from the permease gene, pgtP. In this paper, we describe the identification of the activator gene and its gene product and the determination of the complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of the activator gene as well as of a downstream gene not required for pgtP expression. The amino acid sequence of the activator based on the nt sequence shows an N-terminal signal-like sequence which is apparently not cleaved and three potential transmembrane sequences in the C-terminal half of the protein based on the hydropathy analysis.