Cloning and sequencing of the gene for the Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC33020 glutamate synthase (GOGAT) small subunit and complementation of an Escherichia coli gltD mutant.

A recombinant plasmid which contains the gltD gene coding for the glutamate synthase (GOGAT) small subunit was isolated from a Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC33020 gene bank by complementation of an Escherichia coli gltD mutant. The sequence of gltD was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence shows strong similarity to the two other prokaryote gltD sequences available, namely those of E. coli and A. brasilense (53% and 45% identity, respectively). A cosmid containing the gltBD region was isolated from a T. ferrooxidans cosmid gene bank, but was unable to complement an E. coli gltB mutant.