Cloning and analysis of the dnaG gene encoding Pseudomonas putida DNA primase.

The dnaG gene coding for primase, a key enzyme in DNA replication, has been isolated from chromosomal DNA of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida. It maps within the putative MMS operon, between the rpsU and rpoD genes. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of P. putida DnaG with sequences of other known bacterial primases reveals the presence of a possible regulatory region which would be unique to pseudomonads. The analysis of nucleotide sequence suggests that stable folding of the dnaG mRNA may significantly contribute to the low level of its expression within a cell.