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Microbiology 146 (2000), 487-495
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Microbiology (2000), 146, 487-495.
© 2000 Society for General Microbiology

Genetics and Molecular Biology

The genes for erythritol catabolism are organized as an inducible operon in Brucella abortus

Félix J. Sangari1, Jesús Agüero1 and Juan M. García-Lobo1

Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Unidad Asociada al Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Cardenal Herrera Oria s/n, 39011 Santander, Spain1

Author for correspondence: Juan M. García-Lobo. Tel: +34 42 201948. Fax: +34 42 201945. e-mail: jmglobo{at}medi.unican.es

Erythritol utilization is a characteristic of pathogenic Brucella abortus strains. The attenuated vaccine strain B19 is the only Brucella strain that is inhibited by erythritol, so a role for erythritol metabolism in virulence is suspected. A chromosomal fragment from the pathogenic strain B. abortus 2308 containing genes for the utilization of erythritol was cloned taking advantage of an erythritol-sensitive Tn5 insertion mutant. The nucleotide sequence of the complete 7714 bp fragment was determined. Four ORFs were identified in the sequence. The four genes were closely spaced, suggesting that they were organized as a single operon (the ery operon). The first gene (eryA) encoded a 519 aa putative erythritol kinase. The second gene (eryB) encoded an erythritol phosphate dehydrogenase. The function of the third gene (eryC) product was tentatively assigned as D-erythrulose-1-phosphate dehydrogenase and the fourth gene (eryD) encoded a regulator of ery operon expression. The operon promoter was located 5' to eryA, and contained an IHF (integration host factor) binding site. Transcription from this promoter was repressed by EryD, and stimulated by erythritol. Functional IHF was required for expression of the operon in Escherichia coli, suggesting a role for IHF in its regulation in B. abortus. The results obtained will be helpful in clarifying the role of erythritol metabolism in the virulence of Brucella spp.

Keywords: erythritol operon, Brucella abortus

Abbreviations: IHF, integration host factor

The GenBank accession number for the sequence reported in this paper is U57100.




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