Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the nusB gene of E. coli.

The nusB gene of E. coli has been cloned in plasmid pBR322. Using genetic complementation as an assay for the gene, its location in subclones was analyzed, and the nucleotide sequence of this gene and its flanking regions was determined. The coding region consists of 417 base pairs (bp), which specify a protein of 139 amino acids, and the calculated molecular weight of the nusB protein is 15,702. The nusB protein contains 20 acidic and 21 basic amino acids. A significant promoter sequence was not found to be located in the region upstream from the translational initiation codon. The possibility that the nusB gene consists of an operon is discussed. After the coding region, there is a G-C rich inverted repeat sequence followed by a run of Ts, which could be a transcriptional terminator of the nusB gene.